Adjusting Priorities

We have all lived experiences of loss that paralyzes us. I remember that when I traded in my house to give my daughter an apartment, I was very depressed, so I had left behind a beautiful, spacious, private house, in which I had lived for more than 20 years. This fact upset me emotionally. It is a normal and human reaction, one of losses. It is a duel that you establish with yourself. Little by little, I understood that I could live without my spacious and beautiful house, because I chose to reason what had happened and take advantage of the change, discovering that I could be happy without what I felt so attached to.

Also when I underwent a total thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection, due to a diagnostic error in the biopsy, I felt that life had been too unfair to me and depression made its triumphant appearance. These losses can cause us to re-weigh our priorities. I do not mean that we should live without a good house, or that it is a pleasure to live without the thyroid gland. What I want to emphasize is that life did not end there. I just learned from these experiences. And I adjusted my actions so that life's bumps were less painful.

The amazing thing about all of us is that we do not realize that our level of priorities may be misdirected or misdirected. The material is necessary, but not essential, and we even learn that we can live with much less than we had. The Word of God is very clear in this regard: "Where your wealth is, there your heart will be."

Wealth is a broader concept, and it encompasses the spiritual plane. Without spiritual wealth, neither a good house nor excellent health are worth it, because you will always be sick and dissatisfied with the very life that God gave you.

That is why I call you to reflect on how rich we are today: we have life, we have a genetic family and a family in Faith. We have a life project, according to the Word of God. And, my brothers, nothing that we propose will be impossible to achieve, because our will will always be in the hand of the Most High.

Brothers, we have to decide what we want from life, and consequently choose our life plan, without neglecting Today. And, more importantly, we must choose how to be happy, regardless of what others may think.

Something else I would like to share with you: When a Christian decides that he is only going to establish intimate friendships with another brother in the Faith, he is making a crucial decision in his life, which may be criticized and even mocked. When a Christian decides to break away from attending parties with a marked worldly accent, he is defining himself, he is making a difference, he is living against the current. Of course, at first, it will not be comfortable, and we will be the object of criticism and ridicule, but the reward, that peace that we feel when practicing the commitment that we have made with our Savior, that immense peace, is the greatest of the rewards. “Maybe some of my friends will see it wrong.” Of course! But it is about our life, about our commitment to what we have stated. It is about the narrow path we have chosen. It is about being consistent and unambiguous with our Faith!

I try to share my experiences with my siblings, because if you find yourself today, facing a material loss and even an organic loss (health can be lost), life is readjusted. Brother, life doesn't exactly end there. We are privileged, because we have the Word of God and many brothers who will directly and indirectly help us to get out of the belief of depression.

Don't hold on to anything material in this world, Hold on to God's Word and nurture relationships with those who speak our own language. They are two important aspects of a Christian's success.