The Gift of Preparation: Stability for Challenging Times
“Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).
“I Thirst”: Using Our Gifts to Quench Christ’s Thirst
In a message by Pope St. John Paul II for Lent 1993, the great pope called the Church to reflect on Jesus’ words, “I thirst” (John 19:28) and “Give me a drink” (John 4:7). In these words, he wrote, ‘we hear a cry from the poor, especially those who did not have access to clean water’. In a subsequent letter to the Missionaries of Charity, St. Teresa of Calcutta (then simply known as Mother Teresa) elaborated on this message:
“‘I thirst’ is something much deeper than Jesus just saying ‘I love you.’ Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you — you can’t begin to know who He wants to be [for] you. Or who He wants you to be for Him.”
This Lent, Catholic Women in Business invites you to reflect with us on how Jesus thirsts for each one of us and how we can quench His thirst — through prayer, through sacrifice, through loving His children who are most in need (and there are so many this Lent in particular!). In our content this season, we’ll be exploring how, as Catholic professionals, we can begin to understand “who He wants to be” for us, “who He wants [us] to be for Him,” and how we can share His great love for us all with everyone we encounter.
A Long Time in the Desert
We’re still toward the beginning of Lent — but does anyone else feel like they’ve been in the desert for a year already?
Who isn’t parched for the “good old days” of walking past busy restaurants and hearing laughter streaming through the air, of sitting in a church pew while the voices of a dozen choir members bring you to tears with their beautiful rendition of a childhood favorite, of inviting an elderly neighbor over for coffee and sitting in the living room together?
We are thirsting for a time when things were not this challenging. We are hungry for days that have some balance and stability.
I Should Have Gotten That Done
If you have experienced a traumatic event that left a loved one or yourself in a hospital, you may recognize this desire for when things were lighter and easier, which was replaced by a daily undercurrent of difficulty.
Many of us know that feeling of frustration, sitting for hours in a hospital thinking about the numerous things we needed to do, such as read that pile of legal documents stored away on the top shelf of the bookcase, left again for another day, and schedule the visit to the bank we had originally planned months ago to complete a form.
Unfortunately, these thoughts are often distracting and stressful, leaving it more difficult for us to care for our loved ones or ease their burden in caring for us. However, we have the opportunity to, instead, provide them comfort, like Jesus did when he reduced anxiety and quenched the thirst of those in need.
If we’ve learned anything since the pandemic began, it’s that there is no guarantee of who is going to be the one in need and who is going to be the one tending to the needy. Therefore, it is wise to be prepared for either scenario.
Keep Awake
We don’t have to look far to be reminded that remaining alert and ready is advisable. “Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober,” St. Paul tells us. In short, we should keep our eyes open and prepare for curveballs.
For business owners, this preparation means asking and answering important questions:
Have I organized my files and calendar so someone I trust can step in my shoes and know which tasks need immediate attention?
Have I properly authorized someone I trust to handle business banking, including paying bills and processing receivables?
Have I researched and sought out professional consultation regarding the structure of my business and the resulting tax consequences?
Have I prepared an emergency business plan, so that in times of crisis, I can turn to something I drafted when I was mentally and emotionally available?
Tending to these tasks is not fun. It’s not like launching a cool website. It’s not like looking at colorful inventory that you know will make people happy when it arrives on their doorsteps. It is, however, necessary if we want to reduce chaos when disruption strikes and we find ourselves, for example, needing to operate a business from a hospital room.
Help Me Help You
Of course, we’re not just managing businesses, we’re also running households. On top of that, sometimes it’s us who needs the tending to, and what we do in advance can streamline the ability of others to help us. As individuals, we need to ask and answer additional questions:
Have I organized my files so someone I trust can step in my shoes and know what needs to be done to maintain my home if I am suddenly unavailable?
Have I properly authorized someone I trust to handle my personal banking, including the ability to pay bills and receive income?
Have I reviewed my accounts to check how they are held and what that means, and have I designated beneficiaries where needed?
Have I reviewed all insurance needs and maintained coverage?
Have I researched and sought out professional consultation regarding appropriate planning so someone I trust is properly named or authorized:
To speak for me, if needed, regarding health care decisions?
To care for children or pets?
To wrap up all of my earthly matters if St. Peter calls my name?
The Gift of Stability
It’s not uncommon to put off addressing these questions. However, in order to better protect our families and help others tend to us, we may need to sacrifice our comfort and get started. To this end, we can take baby steps and select four questions to explore for the remainder of Lent.
Jesus asks us to use our gifts. If we consider this planning to be a gift to our loved ones, we can rejoice in the feeling that we have helped create a more stable environment to counter the chaos when these types of challenges disrupt their lives. Unfortunately, when we don’t, we may leave spouses, children, and business partners with difficulty and frustration, thirsting for days of balance and simplicity.
One day, we will begin our exit from the metaphorical desert of the past year, and we will again hear the laughter, be moved by the singing, and see our beloved neighbor step through our doorway. Then, we can continue to reflect upon the lessons we learned. Keep awake, tend to what you need to do, and be thankful for the fruits of preparing for the future.
Linda A. Burrows is an attorney specializing in trust and estate law in southern California. She studied journalism at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and law at Pepperdine, and is currently pursuing a master’s in tax law at Georgetown. Linda is the founder of Soul Soda, a non-profit with the mission of refreshing faith in those, particularly Catholics, who are feeling disconnected from their religious roots. She is a wife and mother of three teens. Linda’s Confirmation name was that of St. Gabriel the Archangel.