Santa is making a list and checking it twice!
One of my favorite newspaper comics is Baby Blues. There are three kids, Zoe, Hammie and baby sister, Wren. Every December, Hammie, a mischievous, but endearing imp, puts all his energy into trying to be good. Because Santa knows whether you have been naughty or nice… and Santa is keeping score. And so is annoying big sister, Zoe!
I wonder how many of us still think of our God of Love, Mercy and Extravagant Generosity as a “Santa Claus” who is keeping a list and checking it twice!
I was sitting at a stop light the other day (yes, I still stop at red lights!) and realized I was bargaining with God. I know that when I get stressed, juggling too many things at once, I revert to bargaining with God. As long as life is running along smoothly, I sort of put God on “auto pilot” but when life gets harried, which for me means I have too many things on my to-do list, my prayer becomes, “Okay, God, I need you to do a, b, c… and then my life will be back to its humming-along self. Thank you very much.”
The question I ask myself is why is bargaining with God easier than trusting God.
Somehow, bargaining provides a false sense of control. I am in the “driver’s seat,” so to speak. Whereas trusting is sort of a “free fall.” You have to trust that God has you… in the “palm of God’s hand.” I find that scary. I am a feet-on-the-ground, foot-soldier type. I don’t do well with “free falls.” I also know that while God holding me in the “palm of God’s hand” may feel comforting, it doesn’t mean everything will go my way. That’s the trust part, which is the hard part for me. Trusting that God’s love will wrap me round with care and concern. Period. That’s the guarantee. But the guarantee may not be the guarantee I want. So, back to square one.
Not all “making deals” are bad. Recently, I was reminded of the story of the late Danny Thomas, a well-known TV star of yesteryear. His early career, as well as his finances, were not faring well. He promised God that if God would help him get his career off the ground, Danny would repay God in some generous way (as if we can repay God. But you get the idea). Danny Thomas became a very popular and successful TV star. And Danny Thomas kept his promise. Once his career began taking off, he gathered some businessmen around him and together they planted the seeds for what is now the internationally known St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where thousands of children have been healed of serious illnesses.
So, is there a difference between making a deal and making a promise?
Probably yes. A deal still implies that I am negotiating – I know what I want, and am willing to negotiate to get it. I am still in control. So I think, anyway.
I think it is the human condition, rooted somewhere in our fears and insecurities as well as in our hopes, that we approach God in this way. Making a promise feels a little less controlling than bargaining. It’s an on-going, ever-evolving movement towards a more mature spirituality. We Roman Catholics have a history of making promises: The Nine First Fridays, Novenas to Mary and other saints. Many of the saints “negotiated” with God as they struggled to get their congregations up and running. Seems to be the human condition.
Making promises is one of the ways we talk to God. It comes from the heart. My mother, who was a devout, faith-filled woman would often say in ordinary conversation, “Oh, I owe St. Anthony some money.” Translated, she had lost/misplaced something and found it. And she would send a donation to some place. I don’t think I ever asked where she sent the money but send it, she did – cash, of course! It was part of her faith relationship with God and the saints, particularly St. Anthony.
A promise is more personal. You are not negotiating or bargaining, you’re saying, “Okay God, I am going to do my best to try not to get myself over-extended.” What I see in a promise is a commitment of the heart, a willingness to change or shift my thinking or behavior which aligns more with what God invites me to be. And the good news is that while I may not always manage to keep that promise, God loves me unconditionally anyway.
As we move towards the Feast of Christmas, let us not bargain, but simply ask the Christ Child, the Light of the World, to bring light into our world of darkness which seems to be growing darker by the day. May we, in our very simple ways, be beacons of LIGHT, with acts of kindness and generosity.
Peace and Joy to each of you this Christmas.
Bridget
The Annunciation Blog 