What's your Life Plan?

“To always be close to Jesus, that is my life plan.”  These words are so simple yet so profound.  I came across these words from Blessed Carlo Acutis a few days ago and was struck by his wisdom.  He really got it right when he gave this response.  When we take a few minutes to think about it, this is really the only thing that matters.  What is your life plan?  Is your main goal and desire in life to stay close to Jesus?

Our culture is obsessed with planning and figuring things out and thinking about the future.  For as long as I can remember, I have dreaded the often asked question, “where do you see yourself in five years?  Ten years? Etc.  When people ask me this question, the one thing I always really want to respond with is, “I’m not really sure…wherever God leads me.”  Most of the time, this answer doesn’t seem to cut it for the people who ask.  It’s good to make plans, have goals, and hopes and dreams but can we stop putting so much focus on these temporary and inconsequential things?  It’s okay to not know what career you want to have, what professional goals you want to accomplish, or when you are going to make a big life change.  

What truly matters?  What should our greatest focus be?  Receiving the love of Jesus and allowing Him to work in our lives.  Letting our hearts be shaped and transformed to expand our capacity to love.  Cultivating a strong interior life so that we can live a life of prayer and be more attuned to His presence in our lives.  And ultimately, to always be close to Jesus.

​Our lives are full of ups and downs, good times, hardships, joys, and challenges.  It can become discouraging to look around and see other people who seem like they have everything figured out and as if everything is going according to their plans.  But the truth is, no one really knows what they’re doing on their own.  The one thing we must figure out is that the only way to live this life is to focus on Jesus, let Him take care of everything, and to remain in His love always.  Once we understand that the most important thing we can do is never stray from His path, everything else we need to know will follow.  There are a lot of things I don’t have figured out.  But one thing I do know is that I want to always be close to Jesus.

Jesus, thank you for loving us.  Help us to remember that your ways are better than our ways.  Give us the desire to always be close to You because that is the greatest life plan we could ever have.  May we stay always close to You so that we would be a reflection of your love and light to all those around us.  Amen.