What do you want?

During his homily a couple of weeks ago, the visiting priest built his homily around the question, "What do you want?" Not that I shut down completely after I heard that question, but I must admit it reverberated across my being and stayed with me on my walk that whole next week. To answer the question I finally sat down and started to list what I wanted. I started to identify what would make me less restless and calm my spirit. The first three were easy:

I want to be with God.

I want to connect with God.

I want to be healthy.

Then, I thought...."Aw come on....this is like what you would show your teacher to get an 'A' (Although I must admit it was pretty honest of me to not put "I want to go to heaven!" Because if I was with God, I would be?)"

So, a second column was started:

I want acceptance.
I want to have people like me.
I want to help people.
I want to read more.
I want to watch people grow.
I want to be comfortable (enough money, security health)
I want a clean, neat house.

Ah, now then, that second list was a pretty honest list. But I felt the first list was an honest start as well so I went back to it and finished it off:

I want to love openly without fear of rejection.
I want to be able to trust everyone.
I want to eliminate fear from my being.

And, ultimately, all the wants came full circle to

I want to be ME.

My homework that would give me that 'A' that I wanted, might entail spending more time reading, helping people, and cleaning my house?! Actually, focussing on those tangible tasks would probably make me less afraid of what others think, help me focus on my realtionship with God and thus forming a true connection of openness, trust and love? Is that what I want?

For the last couple of weeks, I have started to ask this question of others, "What do you want?"


So I will ask it of you. "What do you want?" Do not accept your first response, for it may be what others have programmed you to say. And like well meaning navigation devices, you may be directed where you were never meant to go. Take a little time to recalculate, so to speak, and jot some answers down on a piece of paper. Your answers may suprise you.