“Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:30-31.
This past March, I lead a retreat for Mary, Mother of God Parish, in Harrison, Arkansas. The retreat was titled Surrender: Living Without Fear. I created this retreat because so many women I talk with are living in fear, worried about their lives and the lives of their children, some to the point of barely being able to function. Our world is not a world of peace and harmony. Bad things happen to good people. We lose many loved ones to addiction, suicide, or acts of violence.
It’s easy to feel afraid, to worry, to feel hopeless among all this war, destruction, poverty, and sadness. It’s no wonder there are those who question God’s existence and believe that no good and gracious God would allow such evil to exist.
Free Will
According to the Catechism, sin entered the world and continues to permeate it because of free will. God loves us and wants us to love Him. For that to happen, we must be able to freely choose God over all else. We can’t do that without the freedom to not choose God. We must make the decision to do good over evil and bring about change in the world.
Often, our free will leads us down dark roads, which God permits so we can be truly free. He knows a greater good can always come from our bad choices, which leads us to hope. Our hope and belief are that “in everything, God works for good for those who love Him” (Romans 8:28).
Worth More Than Many Sparrows