The lessons for today are probably among the most important one’s I’ve learned in my faith journey. How many times do we grow impatient with our journey in life? If we are honest, we have to admit that we complain to God in many ways with the dissatisfaction we so often express with our lots in life. Like the children of Israel on the Red Sea road, we go grumbling along. But what does our complaining get us? Usually we suffer more from our complaining than from the actual conditions of the journey of life that challenge us. We bring plagues upon ourselves when we give up faith and hope and doom ourselves to despair.
Life can be tough, in fact, it usually is. God didn’t tell us it wouldn’t be and God doesn’t like a bunch of whiners. But God does hear when we pray out of our distress and our suffering. The difference between crying out to God for help and the sin of complaining is both a mental and a spiritual health issue. The Psalm for today is a cry for help, not groan of disgust. God listens to us when we cry out for help, but only if we do it from the perspective of praise.
Jesus tells us the same thing. If we focus on this world and what limits or frustrates us, we will condemn ourselves. If we lift up Jesus and believe that he has the power and wisdom of the kingdom of God to help us, we too will be lifted up out of the distressful circumstances of this world. So whatever is troubling us, we must first petition God with praise. To not do so, is to sin against God. To do so, is to be released from our sins. Sometimes we need to sit down and make a list just to remind ourselves of how our perspectives can get skewed in the direction of complaining. We each have our own ways of praising God. It is a good habit to develop as many as we can to counter all of our gripes. And just to keep ourselves honest, it is a good practice to share them with others. Here’s mine for today: Instead of complaining that winter is still hanging on, I thank God for Daffodils!
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.
