Move Yourself to Make Things Happen

I woke up one morning in rough shape. It was a hard few years of my life. Sometimes life is like that.

I knew if I didn't break the routine, the day would be lost. I would drift throughout each hour accomplishing nothing. In the evening I would fall asleep with mild disgust, even self-contempt mourning the loss of the wasted day.

I've grown to hate lassitude, that feeling of aimlessness, weariness, being without purpose, not finding the strength to persevere. I've learned the only way to break the spell is through action.  Just get up and do something creative even if it is a small thing.

So I picked up my laptop and went to Starbucks. It was 7:30 am. Better there than languishing at home I decided.

After working for about fifteen minutes I looked up and saw a man, about 35 years old, walk past with deep worry creasing his face.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I came down here with two other guys and our families for work. I just found the contractor closed the shop and took all the money. I have no job and no way to take care of my family."

"That's harsh," I said.

"Yeah."

"Do you believe in God?" I asked.
"Yes."

"Then let's pray," I said.

We went to the back of the building to pray where no one would see us. Sometimes these things are better done in private. Then the man left.

Twenty minutes later he's back.

"You're still here," he says.

"Yes, what happened?"

"After I left I went to another place and a man approached me saying 'I felt a tug in my heart to talk to you.' It turns out he was a contractor and hired me on the spot and gave me $40 to take my family to breakfast."

"I could tell the prayer would be answered," I told him. "But I sure didn't think it would be answered this fast."

Sometimes moving forward, pushing away the lassitude and weariness, can cause great and unexpected things to happen.

Fr Hans Jacobse