The Giver

Yesterday I went to the Confession, and like most people I was nervous, especially because I didn't know this priest very well.

“Father, forgive me for I have sinned…” and I started going through my laundry list. Suddenly, Father stopped me: “Sam. Say what you just said one more time.”

“I was on my day off, and I used my time by watching my TV shows for six hours on my computer in my room.”

My day off. My time. My TV shows. My computer. My room.

"Pay attention to that word 'my,'" he said. "It seems like you might feel like you have a sense of entitlement – like you think you deserve some time away from doing God’s will; as if the rest of the week is for God, and this portion here is just yours to do with it as you like.”

He was absolutely right. I had separated myself from God for those hours. I had claimed that time for myself, and said, “God, stay out. This is mine.”

Upon further reflection, I realize that I do this all the time. I give this much time to God, and once I’ve checked that obligation off my list, I can go back to “me time”... Don't we all do this? We all say, “Alright God, I went to Mass. I gave you your hour. The rest of Sunday afternoon is mine.” Or… “I prayed grace over my meal, checked that off my list.”

God wants more. God wants everything.

You know, I used to think when I heard this that God is stingy. “God, I can’t give you all my time – What will be left for me!?  I can’t give you all my energy – What will be left for me!?  I can’t give you my whole life – What will be left for me!?”

But God doesn’t want to take away or withhold from us; he wants to give. God's nature is total gift, and that's what he loves to do more than anything else! God doesn’t take our time away from us – he multiplies it! When we give our time to God, he makes it holy, productive, beautiful, glorious. He makes it NEW.

Now, to give our time to God doesn’t mean we need to spend every waking moment in front of the Eucharist (but props to the nuns who do that!) … It means that everything that we do, every conversation we speak, every thought in our mind,… We can give these to God, simply by saying “God, this is for you.” We can give him our joy and our pain. Our health and our sickness.

And when we “offer it up” – when we say, “God, this is for you,” God gives it back to us, and makes it better than before. Because “God will not let himself be outdone in generosity.” (St. Josemaría Escrivá) The more we offer ourselves to him, the more he will give back to us!

I'm as bad as the next guy at "offering it up" – especially when I'm having a bad day. But I find that when I do, God absolutely transforms it and makes it NEW. I invite you – join me in my attempts to give everything I have to God, and constantly offer myself: “Everything I have is for you.”

After all, wouldn't he do the same for us?

Yes. Yes he would.

- Sam
@TheAfroSam
facebook.com/TheAfroSam
spiritussam@gmail.com