3. God is Never Outdone in Generosity
When I began to seriously discern entering Religious Life, I was paralyzed by the thought of everything that I would have to give up. My cellphone, my laptop, my car, my clothes, cute shoes, make-up, Starbucks, pedicures, naps, going out to dinner, Florida football games, being close to my family... you get the idea.
After one year in the convent, I can tell you that I don't miss a lot of the things I thought I would. My cellphone - no problemo. Clothes - ehhh, this super fashionable jumper makes getting ready at 5am really easy. Starbucks - well... I'm still a work in progress.
There are other parts of my life that are a lot harder to let go of. I miss my friends and it is really hard to be far from my family. Sometimes, I whine to God about it. Why do you want me? This is harrrrd. Haven't I done enough? Waaaah.
But, here is the honest truth. God is never outdone in generosity. I give God just an ounce of my life, my pride, my will - and whine about it the whole time - and He blesses me abundantly. For real.
Sometimes the blessings are big (like money to help pay off my student loans or an unexpected weekend with my family in Pennsylvania) and other times they are small and simple (a surprise trip to In-N-Out Burger on a Friday afternoon or a cancelled class that frees up time for me to take a nap). Either way, God sends me reminders to say, "I know this isn't easy, but I'm going to give you exactly what you need when you need it."
That doesn't mean that life is perfect. It's not. It is still hard. But, every time I give a little piece of my heart to God, he showers me with His grace. I'm happy. God. Is. Good.
