"What God wants is
not your ability,
but your availability."

Living in a beautiful poolside apartment in Phoenix-the valley of the sun, i had an attractive girlfriend, a nice car, plenty of good friends, a yearly income of more than $80,000 and, to top it off, i was practicing the faith and, hopefully, in the state of grace.

Any young man who finds himself in this state at the age of 22 can consider himself nothing less than rich, maybe not a millionaire, but definitely rich. This was the situation i found myself in when i began to hear God knocking at my door. And if i answered the door and let God in, would i lose all my riches, would i have to give up everything that i worked so hard for? (As if God didn’t do everything for me.) After all, i was practicing the faith, wasn’t that good enough for God? “Couldn’t he just leave me alone,” i used to think, “I’m comfortable.” But i asked, “God, do you really want me to give up everything-a future wife and children and even my very own family?”

At that time, much of my thought was focused on what i had to “give up” and very little on what a great treasure Our Lord was offering me. Blinded by selfish thoughts and self-concern, it was easy to forget the unforgettable offer Our Lord makes to every man in St. Mark’s gospel (Mk. 10:29-30), “Amen, Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and eternal life in the age to come.” I know Our Lord made this promise to those who give their lives back to him in his service, but did i really believe it, did i trust him?

I decided that i did believe it and so i took the step. God cannot make a promise and fail to keep it. He does not contradict himself. Also, since he created me, he knows me well. His wonderful offer attracted me so much that i was willing to give up the big wealth i thought i had.

Little did i know just how much Jesus would give me. I can’t count the blessings and graces, both materially and spiritually that have been given not only to me, but also to my loved ones and i have only been in his service for four years. I “have” homes in over twenty countries and hundreds of brothers and sisters. I have traveled to, worked in, and met people from India, Chile, Nigeria, Ukraine, and other lands i never dreamed of going to. Through the generosity of others, God is building up great missions that are helping thousands of people day after day. I have learned so much about the world, cultures, languages, history, societies, and more. God has given me all this and much more, but one thing in particular that i have come to appreciate the most is that Jesus is teaching me how to love.

Jesus is love. He is the perfect example of how to love and he teaches us how to love. We recall that our Lord said, “I have come not to be served but to serve.” But wait a minute, he is God! Shouldn’t we have set a great throne for him and only served him? No-he came to teach us how to love, and the way he taught us this was by serving others. There is a very special joy or happiness of soul that comes when we serve others. At one time or another we all have done something special for a loved one, such as made a birthday cake, or made a special meal, or gave flowers. Recall the joy and happiness when presenting your gift or “service” and multiply that by 100. This joy and happiness comes from serving and loving others and is part of the “hundred-fold” by Our Lord. He has blessed me with the opportunity to serve thousands of people, especially children. I can truthfully say that those children give to me much more than i could ever give to them. Loving others has its rewards, both here on earth and in the world to come.

St. Francis of Assisi, a great lover of God and man, said it very well: “It is in giving to all men that we receive.”

My small sacrifice is so tiny compared to what God has given me and i would do it all over again.