Let Him Lead

After reading today's Gospel, I had to be honest with myself: I was just like Thomas. I grew up Catholic my entire life, and I have spent the last 21 years learning and teaching the faith. Yet I still ask almost the same question as Thomas: “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” I even know Jesus’ answer to Thomas’ question, and I still struggle at times to understand how I ought to follow Jesus.

For myself, and probably many others as well, the issue lies not in my lack of knowledge or understanding of my faith, but rather in my own vanity. I spend time growing closer to God and listening to him as he shows me the path that I should follow . . . but then, as I set off on my journey down that path, I immediately see a second path—and without turning back to ask for Jesus’ guidance, I begin to trust my own instincts and “knowledge,” and I start down a path that may or may not be the one he has prepared for me. I say, “Thanks for getting me started, God—but I can do this now. You just stand back and watch me show you how amazing I am at this.” And then, inevitably, I proceed to trip and fall, and all the while I wonder what went wrong.

I think that the change from Lent to Easter can seem a bit like this. We spend 40 days letting go of things we don’t need, praying more, trusting in His guidance more in our lives. Then we hit Easter, and it’s all about the celebration and joy—and we forget the lessons we learned on the journey through Lent, when we let Him lead the way.

So, if you are anything like me and have let yourself take the lead on the journey that the Lord has set for you during this Easter season, I encourage you to pause and turn around. Look back at all the good things the Lord has done for you, and realize that he desires more great things for you if only you would let Him take the lead. He does not tell the Apostles that he is the start of the way, the start of the truth, or the start of life. No—He is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life. And if we allow him to be just that, our Easter season (and daily life) might be just a little less chaotic and a little more joyful.