Give yourself unto God

God does not choose the worthy to do great things. He chooses the willing.

When Saint Jean Marie Vianney was in the seminary training for the Priesthood, he was not an intelligent student. He had difficulty in learning, particularly Latin. His tutor was so frustrated with him one day that he yelled out in exasperation, “Jean, you are a total donkey!” Jean paused and quietly replied, “Well if God could have Samson use the jawbone of a donkey to kill a thousand Philistines, imagine what He could do with a full donkey like me”.  Such was Jean’s constant resignation to God.

After he was ordained a Priest he came to be known as the most extraordinary priest in France, for his stunning humility, gentleness, patience, cheerfulness and deep faith.

During the last ten years of his life, he spent sixteen to eighteen hours a day in the confessional, counselling people. His advice and prayers were sought by bishops, priests, young men and women, persons in all kinds of difficulties, and the sick. He prayed over people and they were healed.

In 1855, the number of pilgrims flocking to meet this saintly priest had reached twenty thousand a year. Till today, the church he served in is visited by thousands of pilgrims. (He is considered the patron saint of Diocesan Priests all over the world).

God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people. Even when others would brush us off as “useless” or “unfit”, God can make the best of us when we rely on His power.

St Paul told the community of believers in Corinth “Consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth, but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are (1 Corinthians 1:26-28).  

When we rely on Divine power we accomplish great things in life.Gideon, a fearful, young, insignificant man experienced that Divine power in his stunning victory over the Midianites, when the Lord told him “I will be with you and you shall defeat the people of Midian with one single stroke”(Judges 6:16). Gideon defeated the mighty army of the Midianites overnight.

Don’t be discouraged when people write you off or discount you. Michaelangelo sculpted the masterpiece ‘David’ from the same marble  other sculptors rejected. God, the great sculptor of life, has greater plans for your life. Give yourself into His hands.