"Get to" vs. "Have to"

Words you need to stop saying pt. 3

Hey buddy,

The other day I was perusing the ‘Stack and came across this Note from my new friend

Building Catholic Men

:

We’re smackdab in the middle of St. Michael’s Lent and I have admittedly failed to change much of anything that I’m doing right now. Exodus90 has a program for it right now that I ultimately decided against, but BCM’s post hit on the most sustainable aspects of it.

I don’t believe in coincidences but Mrs. YFD brought St. Augustine’s Heroic Minute to my attention via another source within a day of seeing this Note.

I don’t know about you, buddy, but I’m a snooze-button-smasher.

I don’t typically get enough sleep.

I have like five alarms that go off in the morning for different reasons (working out, Bible study, TCOB, oh-crap-you’re-going-to-be-late-for-work, etc.) and I ignore them more often than I should.

What jumped out to me about the Heroic Minute is that I don’t always think of waking up as a blessing. That sounds darker than it ought to. What I mean to say is that I don’t always take the time to appreciate how miraculous it is that I have been given life at all, let alone a life filled with so many blessings.

St. Augustine

When you wake up right away and say “Yes, Lord!” (which I did better with this morning - only one snooze), you’re showing God that you’re grateful for the gift of the day ahead. Psalm 118 reminds us that

“This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.” (118:24)

We don’t HAVE TO wake up.

We GET TO wake up.

Nothing is promised and human life is so fragile. Why are we not more grateful for what we GET TO do?

I don’t HAVE TO go to work, I GET TO go to work. There are more and more people on my LinkedIn feed talking about being out of work for weeks and months and can’t find anything. Thank God that I have the income that I do.

I don’t HAVE TO help keep the house clean, I GET TO live in a modest, clean and potentially beautiful home with my wife and children.

I don’t HAVE TO go to Mass on Sunday, I GET TO go humble myself before the True Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Mass (I had that discussion with li’l YFD the other day).

You and I can do a better job of changing our mindsets from one of obligation to one of gratitude.

We might find that our lives are more rewarding if we look at the challenging parts of our lives not as burdens,

But as gifts.

I don’t know, buddy, what do you say?

After all, we don’t have to change our outlook and positively impact the world around us.

We get to.

Thanks for stopping by. It’s always a pleasure to see you. Have a great week.

Your Friend,

Dave