Good things happen when you let the Holy Spirit work.
A few weeks ago, on Pentecost Sunday, we had no plans – other than our Parish Pentecost luncheon hosted by our priests. The luncheon was a great time spent with our fellow parishioners. We have made really close friends with another couple at our parish (they’re 80+ years old, but that’s beside the point), and we spent the luncheon visiting with them. It was really nice. But, I won’t lie – I was looking forward to going home and doing NOTHING.
Walking to our car afterwards, my husband’s phone started ringing, and it was our elderly neighbor. We both knew immediately that she needed help in some form, we just didn’t know what. This time, it was that she had fallen in her bathroom and needed my husband to come literally pick her up. So we hurried home, and off he went to pick her up – and fix the towel bar that fell, too.
Once he got home, it was time to start our “nothing”.
But actually, then he got a call to go help his brother. So off he went with our son to go help him!
While I was sitting around, I decided to check in via text with some of my friends. One friend ended up calling me immediately crying. Walking and talking her through what was upsetting her has been an ongoing process – one I am happy I can be a friend to her during.
Once my husband and son got home, we just sat there and looked at each other. Then his phone rang. It was his friend, also needing some advice and help.
Our day of “nothing” had turned into helping people pretty continuously.
Ironically, that morning at Mass, our priests’ Homily was about specifically “making yourself attractive to the Holy Spirit”. A few years ago, he had spoken with a monk in Egypt who had a very rigid structure and routine of prayer and fasting. Our priest told him how impressed he was with the monk’s holiness, to which the monk responded “You think these things make me holy? No, these things help me attract the Holy Spirit”. The Monk was explaining that holiness does not come from us. It comes from the Holy Spirit. The works that we do can only invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and it is up to the Spirit to choose how it will work. So our priest went on to talk about things we can do to make ourselves attractive to the Holy Spirit. This means praying, welcoming the Holy Spirit daily, and being an open and empty vessel for the Holy Spirit to come into and use you for good.
On our way to the luncheon, my husband and I had a good conversation about making ourselves attractive to the Holy Spirit and what that might look like for us and sort of checking ourselves to make sure we were in fact doing that daily. We even said something along the lines of “okay, take our day, God. Holy Spirit, guide our day” – something less formal than that, but something along the lines of inviting the Holy Spirit in.
It’s always funny to me how quickly God hears us. Of course, not every time, but it’s happened enough times where it feels so instant (i.e. our basketball hoop) that it makes me laugh when it does happen. I have a vivid image of God’s ears perking up with a smile and saying something like, “Oh! Okay. HERE YOU GO!”
On Pentecost, the day of the Holy Spirit descending upon the disciples of Jesus, we invited the Holy Spirit in. God’s ears perked up and the Holy Spirit took a hold of our day of “nothing” and used it for good. Multiple people needed us that day. And each time, our presence left them in a better place than they were in – whether that’s physically or mentally.
Sometimes it’s a little scary to say “okay God, take my day”. Actually, it’s very scary. Who knows what He will do with you when you allow Him to take over. But in my experience, it’s always put me in a better place than I was previously. So invite God in. Make yourself attractive to the Holy Spirit. Be prepared to get a few phone calls, or to be pushed and challenged, but remember, God is always working for your good.
