Father Mike Schmitz

Am I only coming to you because of the gifts?

I want to love you, the giver.

but I know this about myself.

I know that I love the gifts, maybe sometimes more than the giver.

And so we have this mixed up motivation, right?

We have this mercenary heart that, you know, as C.S.

Lewis has said, I think we've said this before.

C.S.

Lewis has noted, I have a mercenary heart willing to give myself to the highest bidder, willing to give my heart to the highest bidder.

And the question is, gosh, Lord, help me.

How do I become the kind of person who can love you for your own sake?

The answer is through trials and tribulations.

And sometimes those trials and tribulations are, like Peter's describing, that might end in martyrdom.

But a lot of times, those trials and tribulations are simply showing up when showing up is not glamorous.

What I mean by that is, it is pressing play on day 352 when...

Oh yeah.

Day one, day two, day 10.

That was maybe kind of fun.

Maybe got a lot out of it, but here's day 352 and you press play and say, okay, God speak, Lord speak.

Your servant is listening.