April 23, 2010
The Second Half
Changing with the times
BY DEACON JIM AND ANN CAVERA
With retirement just a few months away, we are beginning to wrap up some of our ministries. Two weeks ago we completed our spring marriage prep program for engaged couples. On the way home at the end of a very long day we had the following bittersweet conversation: “After more than 30 years of working with engaged couples, our work is finished. Yep. That was the last one. No more marriage prep for us.”
At home we checked our answering machine and found a message from a friend. He was hosting a marriage preparation conference for his deanery the next weekend and found himself in a bit of a bind. Could we help him out by giving one of the talks? This man happens to be a good friend and we have enjoyed his hospitality many times. Could we say no? Of course we couldn’t. Once again, we were reminded that God definitely has a sense of humor, and, regardless of what we think, he may have plans of his own for us.
It is human nature to want to know what lies ahead. Plans give us a sense of security. With our small plans firmly in place, we feel as though we have some control over our future. This past week the plans of hundreds of thousands of air travelers were disrupted when a volcano in Iceland erupted. Even though each traveler had purchased a ticket with a specific destination firmly in mind, thousands have spent the past several days sleeping on makeshift beds in airline terminals. A cloud of volcanic ash is still drifting over England and Northern Europe while airline officials try to come up with plans to get planes back in the air. Meanwhile, the world has been reminded that the best laid human plans are always built on shaky ground.
As Christians we continue to make plans knowing we must be ready to change course at a moment’s notice. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never die.” (John 10: 27-28) God has an eternal plan for each of us and his perspective goes far beyond anything we can see. Day by day, we are led by the voice of the Holy Spirit. The ministries we work in, where we live, anything we might plan to do can be altered to fit God’s larger picture. We have no plans of our own that can’t be quickly changed. We do have our final destination firmly in mind and our tickets in hand.
Will we be working with engaged couples this time next year? The best answer we can give is that we have no idea. After all, there is really only one voice we need to be attuned to. How do we know whether or not we have finished with one phase of life and we are ready to begin another? Sometimes the best way to find out is to answer the phone and see who is calling.
Deacon Jim and Ann Cavera are former residents of Evansville; their award-winning column is a regular feature of the Message. Contact them at www.catholicseniorspirit.com.