Day 12 What is liberty?

 Day 12 and my reading is picking up steam.  I am a little concerned that we aren't having any discussions on this blog though.  Maybe I should post less often so people could have the time to discuss some of these ideas?  

So Thomas has graduated High School and taken an entrance exam to the University, not just any university but Cambridge and he is accepted with a scholarship no less!  I am not clear why but since this is Christmas time he has 6 months before classes start.  He is now 18 and has time to kill so goes off to the south of France.  He ends up having a miserable time.  He states;

So there I was, with all the liberty that I had been promising myself for so long,  the world was mine.  How did I like it?  I was doing what I pleased, and instead of being filled with happiness and well-being, I was miserable.  The love of pleasure is destine by its very nature to defeat itself and end in frustration.  But I was one of the last men in the world who would have been convinced by the wisdom of a St John of the Cross in those strange days.  pg 106

So I meditated on this and it makes sense.  How many times growing up did I want just one material thing and I would be happy.  In high school all I wanted was to letter in baseball.  After college all I wanted was to be a doctor.  In medical school all I wanted was my wife to go out with me--wait, bad example, skip that one.  The point is after achieving all these things they themselves didn't bring the happiness I desired. [ Except being with my wife, that is perfect of course!] I am reminded of a quote of St Augustine, " My soul does not rest until it rests in thee."   I really think it is true.  Things won't make us content for long.  People, real friends can make us content but only God can make us truly happy.  It is the way we are wired.  I think many people are caught up in the fake mysticism of the world looking for the next high and they are destined to be disappointed.  I think the richer you are the harder it is to see this because you can keep buying and buying.

 

So what is true liberty?  Are we really free when we are caught up in the world chasing the next fad, the next promotion or the next 1,000 followers on tic toc?  Or are we free to become who we can become by submitting ourselves to God and His ways?

My prayer today is Lord, Help me joyfully submit to Your will more fully and not be afraid to become who You want me to be.   

Pax

 

Joe