Randy Hain on Acceptance of God's Will in Our Lives

"Not long ago a priest shared some guidance with my wife and me that has been the cause of a great deal of conversation and reflection in our home.  In response to learning that we pray every day about our oldest son’s future and that he be healed of his autism, he encouraged us to pray first for acceptance.

"Let me explain.

"He said there was nothing wrong with asking God to heal our son.  But, we first needed to ask for the ability to fully accept the beautiful gift of our child exactly as God created him. By asking for healing first, we were in essence asking God to improve on His creation without first understanding the lessons and blessings His gift has provided our family. We have always viewed our oldest son as a blessing and know we could not possibly love him more than we do now.  But, we may have mistaken love for acceptance as we continued to pray over the years for God to remake him into our vision of a well-formed and perfect child.  We have somewhat selfishly asked God to redo his handiwork when we should be accepting of God's plan for his life and trusting that the Father who loves us wants only what is best for him. 'If you follow the will of God, you know that in spite of all the terrible things that happen to you, you will never lose a final refuge. You know that the foundation of the world is love, so that even when no human being can or will help you, you may go on, trusting in the One that loves you' (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI)."

In a recent commentary, writer Randy Hain, Senior Editor for The Integrated Catholic Life, reflected on acceptance of God's will and its role in our lives.

To access her complete post, please visit:

Integrated Catholic Life: On Accepting God’s Will (9 APR 15)