Focus on what you can do for others rather than what you can’t

Published: July 7, 2007

By Sister Mary Lou Stubbs, DC
Director, Catholic Charities of Arkansas

“Do not let the things you cannot do interfere with the things you can do.” I received that sage advice from a recent fortune cookie. As with many of the ordinary little things of daily life, it reminded me of a core set of scriptural lessons.

The parable of the weeds in the wheat (Matthew 13:25) tells us not to worry about the weeds that grow side by side with the desired crops, because God will sort it all out in the end, destroying the evil weeds and harvesting all of the good that has managed to grow and multiply.

Our work in growing the kingdom of God is similar: we cannot be so distracted by the evil we see that we wither with the pain. We cannot forget to work on growing the good, especially when the good we are called to do is in response to the damage caused by the evil that grows so persistently.

Jesus repeatedly told us to help those who are suffering — the poor, the abused, the stranger, the widows and parentless, those who have had no chances and those who have made every mistake, those who are despised and feared for their “ugliness.” He directly told us in Matthew 25:31-46 that the only way to be a part of his heavenly kingdom is to help our sibling humanity in their suffering and he modeled that behavior in the midst of his own suffering.

How could the message be clearer? How could the invitation to continue the incarnation of Christ in the world be stronger? It is by reaching out beyond our comfort zone to help others so that the wheat-stalk of our lives produces the 30, 60 or hundredfold seeds, which can scatter and give growth to more grain — 30, 60, or hundredfold — until the exponential growth of good leads to the kingdom for which we have all been created.

So how do we do this? The Church has always made this Gospel message live through her social ministries — services organized so that every member can participate directly or supportively. Social ministries done in cooperation with the ministry of Jesus, which can flow through individuals, through parishes or though organizations to reach out to those hurting who are so precious that Jesus said, “Whatsoever you do for these little ones, you do for me.”

Whatever you are able to do, you are invited to participate in church social ministries here in Arkansas: Bring families together through adoption and work against the ravages of abortion; assist those seeking to redirect their lives; care for the low-income sick in clinics here or in Honduras; feed the hungry and clothe the homeless; welcome families as they relocate nationally or internationally because of personal, economic or natural disasters.

You are invited to participate in ministries that help people grow into hope and stability, and be a team member to do this through respectful love. Join a ministry and share your talent, your support and your prayer. Don’t be concerned about what you cannot do — do whatever it is that you can and you will be among those who build the kingdom and who will rejoice in it.

Sister Mary Lou Stubbs, DC, is the director of Catholic Charities of Arkansas.

This article was originally published in Arkansas Catholic July 7, 2007. Copyright Diocese of Little Rock. All rights reserved. This article may be copied or redistributed with acknowledgement and permission of the publisher.