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Highlights

By Vincent Johnson
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
4/6/2014 (9 years ago)

Published in Blog

Keywords: Conversion, Peace, Love

MOORESVILLE, NC - Growing up, I was taught to never give up, no matter what. My mother's favorite saying, whenever any of our clan got into any situation that was extremely difficult was; 'Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get back in there!'

Tenacity was something that was inherent within all of us. Personally these traits brought me to a successful career and a life as a family man with 10 children. Tenacity also brought me to a life that was too attached to the world, and even though I had a solid foundation in my Catholic faith, I seemed to never fully embrace Our Lord Jesus Christ as the solution to all things; evidently I was the solution because I could not let go and hand it off to someone else. What I thought was a great characteristic to have, was in reality something that made me in many cases independent from our Eternal Father. This contradiction led to many ups and downs, instability, fear, doubt; all feeding off of each other. I knew where I wanted to be as far as God was concerned, but I had no idea where God really wanted me to be. To find this out I had to decrease so Our Lord Jesus could increase.

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Well, let me tell you how God reaches the mind, heart and soul of men who are full of themselves thinking they have the answers; He places them in a situation where they have no other option than to listen to Him. He did this with many of the saints; St. Francis of Assisi easily comes to mind.  He was imprisoned during one of the local wars frequent during that period of Italian history. He had become ill, and in his weakened state he could no longer resist the truth, care and love of our Lord God and Father. This too was the method God used on my stubborn will.

Over the course of nearly a year of debilitating pain and limited mobility; I came to grips with who God really was, the truth about who I was, and my path in a life with Christ. I was finally able to fully place my life at the foot of the cross, and into His hands. In the midst of my suffering I was able to feel complete joy and freedom in my choice to absolutely surrender to God. My surrender was not a partial or revocable one as in my former life; it was and is daily an indelible one. Each day I go to the foot of that cross and renew my surrender. In turning my will over to my Lord and Savior, and willingly becoming His possession; my joyous freedom is renewed. His love is pure and sweet, and I run to that well to quench my thirst for it. That well is not for just me alone, it is for all that desire to have Christ fill their lives. Go, run to that well!

Amen!

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