what do you ask of Him?

Lewis tells us about suffering today in A Year with C.S. Lewis.

He says we suffer now, and he doesn't see any reason why we won't suffer after we die, as well. This is one of the reasons Catholics teach purgatory. But that's not the focus of our blog today.

Today we realize that suffering comes to every life. And Jesus comes to us as well. Just like He came to blind Bartimaus on His way to Jericho. And He asked the blind man, "What do you want?"

He stands before you now. He asks the same thing. "What do you want?" He's asking you, the reader, in this very moment. What do you want from Him?

You can ask for your sight. To be able to see truly. To see what your life is about. To see what is really important. To see the needs around you and respond to them.

But you can ask for so much more, can't you? The blind man asked for his sight, and that was of course a reasonable thing to ask for. But if he had only known Who it was that was asking, he would have asked for Jesus Himself. He would have asked to follow Him and become one of His.

Would that have ended his suffering? No. In many ways, it would have brought more suffering. But with that suffering, with that challenge, would also come the great joy and meaning that following Jesus brings to our lives. And today we wouldn't think of him as the blind man who was healed... we would remember him as the saint who performed miracles and helped others to know Him more.

He stands before you now. What do you want?

God, thanks for asking. Please give us wisdom in what we choose.