The Coin Indifference

Several weeks ago I wrote that I had begun working through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. I will not complete them until Easter and the process involves some short daily reflection but also a longer reflection each week. Last week's work was about indifference. The crux of it is about oppenness to giving up things (not necessarily material but possibly people) in our lives because of what God has in store for us.

I struggled with this and didn't relate to it either. I feel as if I have given up a lot in my life (particularly people) and when I went to see my priest, Fr. Anthony, to discuss how the exercises were going, I used my swimming pool as an example. "I don't want to give up my pool," I told him. "I gave it up once and never thought I'd get it back but I did." 

Fr. Anthony looked at me and asked, "Would you give up your pool for the ocean?"

His point was that if God asks us to give something up, it's because he has something greater in store for us, not because he is punishing us. I still didn't like the idea but at least I understood it, especially when he also asked, "Don't you think God has great things in store for you?"