During adoration recently, the Lord asked me to do something and I said, “No.” It was at the adoration chapel I go to on Thursdays, during lunch for an hour, a very small chapel where there is seating for 4 people only, facing each other in the shape of a cross, and the body of Christ is concealed in a copper green metal tabernacle in the center of the room. God wanted me to pray lying on the ground, on my face, in the sign of the cross. "No way, no how, nuh huh, not going to do it," I thought. “There are 2 other people in here. This is embarrassing.” So I started to bargain with God in my mind! “If you clear all these people out, I will do it,” I thought. So I waited. The two people who I originally asked God to clear out left about 15 minutes later, so God actually held up his side of the bargain. But one new lady came in. I could not bring myself to do it. All the excuses ran though my head… I will wrinkle my tie. The floor is dirty. I have to go back to work. I'm not sure my 6'3" frame will fit. This lady will think that I am crazy… So at my usual time, I left, disappointed in my weakness and myself.

After I left, I vowed that I would lie in the shape of a cross and pray the next time that I went to adoration. The next day my email had the following daily Divine Mercy inspiration from the Diary of St Faustina (If you wish to get this daily reflection click this link Flocknote Divine Mercy Daily):

"I am surprised that you still have not completely renounced your self-will, but I rejoice exceedingly that this change will be accomplished during the retreat (Diary, 369).

[Then] I heard these words: I am with you. During this retreat, I will strengthen you in peace and in courage so that your strength will not fail in carrying out My designs. Therefore, you will cancel out your will absolutely in this retreat and, instead, My complete will shall be accomplished in you. Know that it will cost you much, so write these words on a clean sheet of paper: "From today on, my own will does not exist," and then cross out the page. And on the other side write these words: "From today on, I do the will of God everywhere, always, and in everything" (Diary, 372).

My Prayer Response:

Lord Jesus, may Your love strengthen me to do Your will everywhere, always, and in everything. May I live the "Our Father" petition: "Thy will be done!"

Do you think God was trying to tell me something!?! God’s love of Saint Faustina always gives me great strength. I prayed this prayer, truly asking God for strength to do his will. I did not want to be the son who said he would do it and then didn't. I wanted to be the son who said no and then went and did his father's will anyway. That next Sunday afternoon, I went to my own church where the perpetual adoration chapel is a beautiful chapel on the backside of the altar with seating for 25, where the body of Christ is always visible. Because it is perpetual adoration, I knew that at least two people would be there, but this time I didn't care. And it happened. I walked in and immediately laid face down right in front of Jesus and prayed the our Father once and then got up and kneeled in the pew the rest of the time. Sadly, I was still embarrassed. I am not sure if the other adorers even noticed or not, but I didn't care. I thought, “There, I did it!” and thanked God for this gift.

I once read a story that just before his first audience as Pope, they could not find Saint John Paul II. The young priest who was supposed to have him there on time could not find him anywhere. In a panic, he asked an older priest who knew better where he might be. He told him to check the chapel and the young priest told him he had already

checked it twice. The older priest told him to check it again, but this time look at the floor. When he walked into the back of the papal chapel he again saw an empty dark chapel. But this time he walked to the front of the chapel and checked the floor and there, face down, lying with his arms outstretched like on a cross was Pope John Paul II, praying. I have prayed like JP2 a few more times since then and it is a beautiful way to pray. Always remember, be not afraid!