Third Saturday of Advent
JGS 13: 2-7, 24-25A
PS 71: 3-4A, 5-6AB, 16-17
LK 1: 5-25
WHAT IF?
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2, New International Version)
How many times have you found yourself asking ‘what if’ questions? What if I mess up on a work assignment? What if I forget the lyrics during a performance? What if I get cancer? What if I lose my job? The list goes on and on.
As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to live by a different moral code and not wonder about the ‘what ifs’. Instead God wants us to stand strong on our faith and know that no matter what happens in the future, God will take us through it with dignity, grace and compassion.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10a, New International Version )
I sing in a group and we recently had a performance in what is considered a prestigious venue. While rehearsing one morning, I started feeling very nervous and began wondering “What if I mess up or fall on the stage?” I almost drove myself crazy with all the ‘what if’s’ that were swirling in my mind. Eventually, I decided that the best course of action would be to rehearse more. At that very
second I turned on my phone to listen to the music, and the daily scripture popped up on my phone. It was Psalm 18:2 – 'The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Some may regard this as a coincidence, but I choose to believe that God, via modern technology, spoke directly to me and reminded me once again that he is faithful and that I don’t have to ask ‘what if’.
We can only make ourselves sick by worrying about the ‘what if’s’ in life. Instead, we can use our time in more productive ways like helping someone less fortunate than ourselves or writing out a list of 10 to 20 things we are grateful for. I find that writing a gratitude list immediately calms me down and reminds me not to worry and ask “what if?”. It makes me say, “Here I am Lord, how can I be of service to you?”
Lori Corzine works in the Center for International Studies
Every day during Advent, students, faculty, and staff from across the SLU community will share reflections on the intersection of the Scriptures of the day, the liturgical season of Advent, and their own lives.
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