GIVING YOURSELVES AWAY

GIVING YOURSELVES AWAY
John the Baptist=
Was Jesus' cousin=and he
SUMMED up his
Whole life
By GIVING himself AWAY
For Jesus=by preparing a way
For Jesus=THE REAL MESSIAH!
"He must INCREASE=I
Must decrease"                                                                                                                              John 3:30
And so it should be
That WAY for us too
We should DECREASE as
We get older=Jesus
Should TAKE OVER
In our life
LET Jesus increase
In your life=
As you give yourself AWAY
John gave away his SELF-INTEREST=
He was totally selfless-
He gave himself away
For the MISSION OF JESUS
He let Jesus in CHARGE
Of his life
"God blessed them
And said=
'Be fruitful
And INCREASE in number
And fill the water
In the seas
And let the birds
INCREASE on the earth'"                                                                                                               Genesis 1:22
"Do not trust in extortion
Or put vain hope
In stolen goods
Though your riches INCREASE=
Do NOT
Set your heart on them"                                                                                                            Psalm 62:10
John's life was in
NO WAY dimihished
By his stepping aside
It allowed Jesus
To FULFILL his mission
For his life
And John too
And it FREED John
To be a KEY DISCIPLE
In the life of Jesus
John TOTALLY gave himself away
And John found himself=
Maybe we should do it too
And FIND OURSELVES=
Just the way
That COUSIN John did
"The apostles
Said to the Lord=
'INCREASE our faith'"                                                                                                              Luke 17:5
"May the Lord
Make your LOVE INCREASE
And overflow
For each other
And for everyone else=
Just as
Ours does for you"                                                                                                              1 Thessalonians 3:12
GIVE YOURSELVES AWAY
And find yourselves
In LOVE with God
And in love WITH OTHERS
And in love
With THE WORLD
John FOUND his life
By giving it over
Totally to Jesus
SO CAN WE
John is a MODEL
For us all=it is POSSIBLE
In this life
To FIND a love=
By giving ourselves TOTALLY AWAY
For others
Love totally
GIVE YOURSELVES AWAY=
And do not
Count the cost
Just like Jesus
Just like John=
Just like the APOSTLES
In Jesus' name=and in the name of OUR TOTALLY LOVING FATHER
Robert P. Wallman
1-11-20

Ps    INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. James Stephen Behrens, O.C.S.O.