Surrendering the Vineyard

What if peace doesn’t come from thinking positive thoughts, but from surrendering all that’s within us to God? Philippians 4 invites us to focus on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious. But when we’re anxious, angry, sad, or afraid, simply “thinking positive” can feel more like bypassing than healing. Our difficult emotions may be uncomfortable, but they can also tell us something important about what’s happening within us. And then there’s Jesus’ wild story about the tenants in the vineyard. What do these tenants have in common with our anxious minds? Maybe it’s a desire to control—to hold tightly to something that was never ours to possess. What if instead we brought our whole selves to God? Our needs and wants. Our fears and hopes. Our anxiety and gratitude. What if surrender, rather than positive thinking, is where we find peace? A reflection on Philippians 4:6–9 and Matthew 21:33–43 from the Sisters of Divine Providence of Kentucky and God Space. Come as you are. You belong here. #ProvidencePodcast #GodSpace #Surrender #Philippians4 #ChristianSpirituality #CatholicSpirituality by Sr. Leslie Keener, CDP You can find all of the Scripture readings from the lectionary here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can read the reflection and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GodSpaceCommunity.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Subscribe to the Providence Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts or at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠godspacecommunity.com/providencepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The Sisters of Divine Providence of Kentucky is an international community of Catholic sisters with a mission to be witnesses of God's Providence. We place our trust in God as we care for God's people. Connect with the sisters at ⁠⁠⁠⁠CDPKentucky.org⁠⁠⁠⁠. Music credits: Thanks to Pixabay and these artists for their royalty free music: intro and outro music Acoustic Inspire by The_Mountain, reflection questions music, Relaxing Meditation Music by SamuelFrancisJohnson