I’d like to share with you this piece by Saint Anthony of Padua. It is called Be Satisfied With Me:
~—~
Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone,
to have a deep soul relationship with another,
to be loved thoroughly and exclusively.
But to a Christian, God says, “No, not until you are satisfied,
fulfilled, and content with being loved by Me alone,
with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me,
with having an intensely personal and unique relationship with Me alone,
discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found,
will you be capable of the perfect human relationship
that I have planned for you.
You will never be united to another
until you are united with Me,
exclusive of anyone or anything else,
exclusive of any other desires or longings.
I want you to stop planning, to stop wishing, and allow Me to give you
the most thrilling plan existing . . . one you cannot imagine.
I want you to have the best.
Please allow Me to bring it to you.
You just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things.
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I AM.
Keep listening and learning the things that I tell you.
Just wait, that’s all. Don’t be anxious, don’t worry.
Don’t look at the things you think you want,
just keep looking off and away up to Me,
or you’ll miss what I want to show you.
And then, when you’re ready, I’ll surprise you with a love
far more wonderful than you could dream of.
You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for you is ready,
(I am working even at this moment
to have you both ready at the same time),
until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me
and the life I prepared for you,
you won’t be able to experience the love
that exemplifies your relationship with Me.
And this is perfect love.
And dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love,
I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me.
And to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty, perfection, and love that I offer you with Myself.
Know that I love you utterly. I AM God.
Believe it and be satisfied.
~—~
One day, I think, I will write my life down as a story, because it is just that to me—a story with a plot I could never have conceived, with twists and turns coming at the most unexpected moments, but always the perfect moments. Yes, He is unfolding a thrilling plan, and by this has taught me to release my own dreams and desires into His hands, because His ways are proven again and again to be far better than my own. By this He has taught me to expect the greatest things.
Oh, how much I have learned and grown since coming to this little gem set in the sea; I have learned to surrender and to love surrendering—not that I do this perfectly, of course, but I do believe with my whole self that it is the only way to live a fulfilling life. Like a boat on the waves, if the wind pushes me north when I wish to go south, I can do nothing but hoist the sail and trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding me onward to where I am called to be, to where I will be happiest.
And happy I am.
