Prayer Companion: Leave the Doing to God

From The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion

August 12 – Middle Child Day

Leave the Doing to God

“Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to him. That is all the doing you have to worry about.” — St. Jane Frances de Chantal

It’s Middle Child’s Day for every child who ever felt left out! All of us middle children were once the youngest and forced to give that up. I was the baby for seven years and welcomed my younger sister as my live doll baby. My older sister smugly told me I couldn’t be the spoiled baby anymore! I didn’t care because of my new role as big sister who took charge of the baby.

Here’s me, the middle sister: One hand reaches out to catch up with my older sister while I look behind me and catch the hand of my younger sister and bring her along. I’m still that way with my goals in life—playing catch-up while bringing on another project. That’s why I need St. Jane Frances de Chantal’s reminder to hold my eyes on God and not on what’s ahead or behind me.

God lets me wait for the surprise ending as my sisters did. My older sister would make me wait, just like I did my little sister, for a surprise kiss or cookie until the big task was finished — cleaning the bathroom, cooking dinner or decorating for a party.

When I work hard at my goals and wait on Jesus, I enjoy the ending more than the start because of the joy of looking in his eyes and anticipating a glorious ending.

Lord, help us to keep our eyes on you and leave the doing to you as we wait for a glorious surprise ending.

To Ponder: Today, how can you begin to hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to him?

NANCY HC WARD