Love Changes Everything

Have you ever thought that there could be something more to life? Are you searching for true fulfillment, happiness, or love? Well, you are not alone. The majority of people are in the same boat as you; searching for meaning and purpose. Searching throughout a lifetime because we (as a human race) are meant for love and happiness. We are made to experience true joy, true peace, and true happiness. We are made by the creator – God the Father who is love. We are made from Love (which is God) and for Love (being), and to love (action – loving one another). It says in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (27), that the desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God.

But things can get in the way of knowing this Love. When we engage in addictive behaviors, selfishness, depression, anxiety, worry, fear, greed, lust, video games, and so on, we become preoccupied. When we fill our time and energy of things that are not of God, we lose sight of this love and who He is. We live in a world today that is filled with immediate gratification. We are constantly on our phones, binge watching Netflix or playing the latest video game. We fill our time with activities, sporting events and busy schedules. There is nothing wrong with sports, activities or spending time with family and friends. It is when we consume the majority of our time with these things, and when God takes a back seat, that our lives become disordered. Our lives therefore are not in balance. When we put God first in our lives, our time multiplies and becomes more fulfilling. We try everything to fix these problems, but nothing seems to relieve the unhappiness or the emptiness. In my many years of working as a Marriage and Family Therapist, I have seen and heard a lot. Many of the people I used to counsel, were also looking for the “perfect love and happiness,” but they couldn’t find it. In order to tap into God’s love, we need to peel away the wounds, the hurts, sin, and everything else that gets in the way of knowing Him. When we consume our lives with busy schedules, we fail to see what is right on front of us. Sometimes, the business is a distraction to looking into our own selves and seeing what is there.

We all are in the need of healing, whether we know it or not and the good news is that we have a Creator who knows just how to do that. God is in the healing business. He always has been and always will be. He is the source of all joy and peace. I discovered this joy many years ago when I was going through my own healing process from past wounds. I never knew that He wanted a relationship with me. I never knew how much love He wanted to give me. But, with my addictions, and my selfishness I blocked out His love. I was blinded by my sin, and it was finally time that I broke free from the chains that kept me bound. It wasn’t until my late thirties, when my eyes were opened, and I was finally awake. What God has done for me He can do for you just the same. As St. Francis of Assisi once said, “If God can work through me, He can work through anyone.”

People ask questions such as Who am I? Where am I going? What is the meaning of life? Why is there sickness and death in the world? These questions relate to human existence. They definitely challenge us, but our minds never give a sufficient or a definite answer. God has planted in every human heart the hunger and longing for the infinite, for nothing less than God. St. Augustine (fifth century theologian) once said “Our hearts are restless, until it rests in you.”

God is always at work, and always strategizing to reach out to every person on earth. Why? Because of Love. He is the one who first pursues the human soul. This spurs us to search for Him for whom we were made. The Catechism (31) again states that there are three paths in which every person can come to God. They are creation, the human person, and Revelation. If you have ever seen a gorgeous sunset or sunrise, it can be breathtaking. Or going for a hike on a steep mountain and seeing the view from the top. This is evidence of God’s existence. This is His creation. Where there is beauty, there is God. The order, harmony, and beauty of the world point to an intelligent Creator.