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“Our concern, then, should be to know the will of God. We should enter onto the path that God wills for us, not by ‘forcing the door’, but when God wills and as God wills.” – St. Gianna Beretta Molla

“What’s your five-year plan?” 

I get where these questions come from. We talked about mission and vision statements when I studied business at university. The best organizations clearly define their strategic direction and put it effectively into action. While I loved learning about commerce, I do not love these types of career-oriented questions.

I don’t think it’s the right kind of question to ask. I’m highly critical of the spirit and (seeming) wisdom of our times. Mid-term thinking and planning is ineffective when it’s inflexible. What might work for a corporation doesn’t necessarily translate to individuals. Things change all the time: people, circumstances, opportunities, and callings. 

Several years ago, Cardinal Collins’ homily impacted me at a Catholic conference in Toronto. On the eve of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, he said there are only two times to be concerned about: today and our time of death. He referenced the Hail Mary prayer, which says, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, Amen” (emphasis added). 

A wise friend of mine also said that the Our Father has us pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” It doesn’t have us say, “O, dear God, give me a lifetime supply of bread.” So, we have two moments in which we really ought to be concerned: today and our time of death. There is a connection between these two timelines. Who we are today and what we do next directly influences our eternal consequences. Life really isn’t about five-year plans after all.

Our death day determines if we reach our ultimate goal. We can reflect on eulogy questions that help us prepare for that end. A eulogy is an honourable speech for a deceased loved one. It is affirming, respectful, and memorable, which captures the goodness in someone’s life. It highlights the gift that they were to the people around them. It can be a real tearjerker and an opportunity to grieve such a huge loss in the person we so dearly loved. We can imagine what people will say for our future eulogies.

These entail questions like, What will people say about me at my funeral? How will people remember me? What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind? These are much greater reflections for much greater ambitions. They shape our desire to become someone more loving, compassionate, forgiving, etc. God implants these good and true desires in our hearts so that they can become actualized. He gives us the grace to become what He wants us to become. Our being precedes our doing. These desires can then become concrete actions that move us toward those wonderful characteristics.

When we prepare for the end, it’s God’s will that gets us there. It’s the most important thing to do. If eulogy questions are the roadmap for our life’s journey, then God’s will is the right gasoline (or electric charge) for the car that moves us forward in the right direction. For example, diesel simply won’t work for my friend’s slick Tesla. We would then be caught in limbo-land at the gas station instead of driving ahead.

Today really matters. His will is not found five years ahead, either in a future time or a galaxy far, far away. Nor does the past contain it. The present moment and the very next thing is where it is discovered. A mentor encouraged me recently to be faithful to the next step. He wrote, “The Lord is a lamp unto my feet. He is not a floodlight illuminating a mile ahead.” 

We can approach God today in the silence of prayer and ask Him, “What would you have me do, Lord?” Combined with thoughtful eulogy questions, these insights can form a powerful one-two punch. They can knock out lukewarm hearts, timid desires, and devastating eternal sorrow in the flaming fires below. God wants us to win. He desires that we live a great and fulfilling life. An exhilarating journey and an adventurous exploration await. We discover day-by-day who He created us to be and what His will is for our lives. His plan is the best plan.

Sometimes, His will is abundantly clear. Other times, we take a step in faith without intense spiritual consolation. Regardless, the three criteria for following His will always include peace, courage, and clarity. If we experience this fruit, we can be confident that we’re following His path for our lives. It requires a regular prayer life, discernment with a spiritual guide, and reception of the sacraments to know, love, and follow His will. But it’s well worth the effort. Following God’s will brings us to union with Him and salvation in heaven. A meritorious and never-ending party awaits.

God’s plan is our happiness, both in this life and the next. Our timeline is unknown. Until the day we die, God’s will is simply the next thing. Following the next step will eventually lead us not only to our death and the realization of our eulogies, but hopefully and ultimately to our salvation. So, I would encourage you to think about what the next best thing is for your life. Not only think, but pray. God asks us to be faithful and take that step. We are not encouraged to run a mile ahead. It’s too far. He made us shortsighted for a reason so that we would trust less in our small visions and rely on Him all the more.