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You're awesome.

Okay. And then go.

Surrender is—

Fruitful.

Timely.

Possible.

Overflowing.

Let God surprise you.

Welcome back to Best Lent Ever. I was just reading the back of the book before we got started here and fell upon this paragraph. Surrender is not about giving up. It's about giving over, giving everything over to God. It is not a loss. It's the liberation of the soul from the exhausting illusion of control. It's paradoxical and counterintuitive, but surrender is an essential ingredient of freedom. It's not about giving up. It's about giving over. And it's not a loss. And I think our society looks at surrender as weak, looks at surrender as giving up something, giving up everything, and that's not reality. Reality is we gain by surrendering. We don't lose. We gain by surrendering, and we gain so much.

I want to talk to you today about the 12th maxim. And the 12th maxim is, "I make an effort to discern God's will before making major decisions in my life." So we have these concepts, right? We have this concept of surrendering our lives to God. We have this concept of surrendering control. We have this concept of allowing God to lead us and guide us and these sorts of things. But how do we make that real and practical in the actual moments of our day? That's what this is about today. Make an effort to discern God's will before making major decisions in my life. What's the biggest decision in your life at the moment? What's the biggest decision you're trying to make in your life at the moment? And have you asked yourself, "Okay. What is God's will in this situation?" Have you asked God to share His wisdom, to share His guidance to open your heart, your mind, your soul to His desire for you in this particular situation? Because the truth is, we always have a question that we're wrestling with. You have this major decision you're trying to make at the moment. It might not be the biggest decision in your life. It might be the biggest decision in your life. And once you make this decision, you will move on, and within a few days, another decision will emerge. Another situation will emerge that will require you to make a decision. And that will become the biggest decision that you're contemplating, maybe for a day, maybe for a week, maybe for a month, depending on the decision.

But the maxim is, "I make an effort to discern God's will before making major decisions in my life." We have to develop a process. We have to develop a way to remind ourselves as these decisions come up that we step back, don't get too caught up in it. We step back and we consult with God. We say, "God, what's really going on here? Is this what you want me to do, or what is it that you want me to do in the midst of this?" And to discern His will, the opening lines of this chapter, "Life is choices. If you don't consult God, you are much more likely to mislive your life. We build our lives one decision at a time. Are you building your life on sand or rock? We build our lives one decision at a time. My life today is a result of lots of decisions. Your life today is a result of lots of decisions. Good news about our God, good news about our faith—it's like if you don't like the path you're on, you can choose another path. God is a God of second chances and new beginnings and surprises and delights. And if you're in a spot and you realize, "You know what? This is not the path for me,"  great. Choose a new path without delay. Consult with your God, choose a new path, and start making choices that lead you along that path. If there's some part of your life that you're unhappy with, there's some part of your life you don't like, think about the choices that you've made to bring that about. And then pray about the choices you can make to turn that situation around, to transform that situation. Our lives are built one decision at a time. Let's go out into the world and make great decisions today. I want to encourage you to pick up a copy of The Stations of the Eucharist. Very, very powerful. Click the button below and get your copy today. Have a great day and remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

God of miracles, wonders, and grace—

I thank You for all the good You have done in my life—

for the miracles I recognize—

and the many graces I so often overlook—

I open my heart completely to You today—

inviting You to completely inhabit my soul—

so that through me—

others may encounter Your love—

Your mercy—

Your compassion—

Your kindness—

and Your staggering generosity. Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Don't let the world steal your wonder.

See you tomorrow.

See you tomorrow.

Have a great day.

Have a great day.