Psalm 27

I woke up in the middle of the night with this Scripture quote floating around in my head.

One thing I ask of Thee, O Lord; this I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

I assume this is God calling me to do a little exegesis and meditation.  Therefore, here I sit with my hot cider-and-honey concoction, leafing through the concordance and my little Bible.  I realized as soon as I looked at the rest of the psalm, why exactly that verse had come to my soul.  The entire psalm is all about trust in God, something I tend to struggle with as a choleric who likes to be in control!  It's especially a challenge at the moment, as I'm in the middle of an emotionally traumatic semester and a monster of a school-and-employment work load.  Nothing I can't handle...IF I keep the right priorities in place, and right now that top priority is leaning on God for the strength I know he'll give me.

1) The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?  The Lord is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid?

2) When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, these my enemies and foes themselves stumble and fall.

3) Though an army encamp against me, my heart does not fear; though war be waged against me, even then do I trust.

4) One thing I ask of the Lord, this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the Lord's beauty, to visit his temple.

5) For God will hide me in his shelter in time of trouble, He will conceal me in the cover of his tent; and set me high upon a rock.

6) Even now my head is held high above my enemies on every side!  I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and chant praise to the Lord.

. . . 13) I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14) Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!

Alright, Lord, I got the message: Stop trying to do everything myself!  To me, "the house of the Lord" has so many different meanings and connotations.  It's the church building itself, the one I was raised to care for and work in, whether it's polishing the brass candlesticks or ironing the altar cloths.  It's the Church as a whole, the Mystical Body of Christ, which will always and forever be represented to me by the welcoming arms of St. Peter's piazza and the glorious basilica at the head.  It's the place of my future vocation, whether a convent or a home, for I pray that I be always in a place where the Lord is served and praised.  Right now, it's the place of my current vocation; a great Catholic college and at home in a good Catholic household.  Let me always praise the Lord for His many blessings, and trust in Him when He sends me sufferings.  I know that He will give me all the courage and comfort I need, if I but ask for it with the trust of a child.