Are You Wrestling with God's Will?

A reading from this weeks scripture. "In the course of that night, however, Jacob arose, took his two wives, with the two maidservants and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had taken them across the stream and had brought over all his possessions, Jacob was left there alone. Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. When the man saw that he could not prevail over him, he struck Jacob's hip at its socket, so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled. The man then said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you bless me." "What is your name?" the man asked. He answered, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed." Jacob then asked him, "Do tell me your name, please." He answered, "Why should you want to know my name?" With that, he bade him farewell. Jacob named the place Peniel, "Because I have seen God face to face," he said, "yet my life has been spared." At sunrise, as he left Penuel, Jacob limped along because of his hip. That is why, to this day, the Israelites do not eat the sciatic muscle that is on the hip socket, inasmuch as Jacob's hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle."
Genesis 32:23-33

This scripture has special meaning for me because Jacob is setting out on a new course in his life. Crossing a river at night is one of the most difficult of tasks. Then he appears to be separated from his family and wrestles with what appears to be an angel, but it is really a mystery to whom or what he wrestles with. Jacob does overcome the angel in the struggle but he is left with a limp. A deep scare, a battle wound which stays with him the rest of his life as if to remind him of his struggle. He is also given a new name, Isreal, which means, one who struggles with God.

While set out and about on life's journey have you felt that tug or struggle between your will and God's will? I know it's something I think more and more about these days. Sometimes it takes a "wrenching" to get our attention. We may even carry the scare for the rest of our lives to remind us of our struggles. I dont believe that God directly punishes us by inflicting pain or injury on us. But I do believe God allows things to happen or occur in order to bring us around or he may use us for a higher purpose.

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him." John 3:36

A path along the Way at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes.

2 Cor 12:7-10

Brothers and sisters:That I, Paul, might not become too elated,because of the abundance of the revelations,a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan,to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me,but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults,hardships, persecutions, and constraints,for the sake of Christ;for when I am weak, then I am strong.