Jesus in My Life - Kristine Franklin

Leave the Driving to Him
It's the only way to avoid accidents.

I Don't Have to Agree,
I Just Have to Obey
By Kris McKusky

My special relationship with Jesus Christ can best be described as unexpected.

I grew up in a typical Catholic home. Though I wasn't drenched in religion, I was taught to be respectful and was expected to live my Faith. I attended Sunday Mass with the family or my grandparents and received the Sacraments when I was supposed to. I learned to pray during difficult times, like when my grandparents died. The hard times passed, but the lesson stayed: Pray and God answers.

My ultimate decision to enter the seminary was a direct answer to my prayers, although it was not the answer I was looking for. Discerning my vocation in life was the first time I'd ever consciously tried to resist God. In high school I prepared for a career in medicine. And all during that time, I had nagging thoughts that something was not quite right.

When a high school senior decides he wants to be a priest, he'd better have a handy answer for everyone who asks, "How come?" Believe me, all my friends and relatives, even some I haven't seen in 10 years, have asked. Very honestly, I answer, "I just woke up one morning and knew I couldn't be anything else." After that, the nagging doubts disappeared.

My mother reminds me that people have been calling me "Father Kris" since I was a 12-year-old altar boy. Perhaps there are people in our parish who saw this coming, but the priesthood was not my first choice.

I wanted to go to medical school, get married, have kids. Jesus had different plans. I wanted to be a doctor and be instrumental in healing bodies. Jesus asks me to be a priest so I can be His instrument in healing souls. I asked for a large family. Jesus is giving me the Church. I wanted to be a dad. Jesus is calling me to be a Father.

That's as close as we could come to agreeing on things, but I'm not complaining. I've learned that I don't have to agree. I just have to obey. The peace comes later.

I'm still learning that Jesus knows best. Being somewhat stubborn, it's not always easy for me to be submissive. Yet He calls me daily to be closer to Him. Hours of prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours, rosaries and daily Mass help me through times of stubborn resistance, and at the same time, draw me closer to His love. That nearness is making it easier for me to accept and carry out His will, rather than my own.

I've discovered that since I've put God in the driver's seat, the journey has become much easier. When I let Him take control in our relationship and in my life, He does all the hard work. All I have to do is pray and submit to His will for me.

Submission — that's the hard part. But Jesus has promised all of us that His grace is sufficient. I've learned that the best way to live is to simply step back and accept His direction. He takes good care of us when we let Him.