We are good at digging ourselves into holes. We dig ourselves deep into places from which we cannot climb back out. Suddenly there is no way back from an argument we’ve had with a relative or a friend. Perhaps we’ve said things that can’t be retracted or we’ve heard something we can’t forgive. Suddenly there is no way back to a simpler way of life because we’ve somehow managed to over complicate or over commit. Suddenly there is no way we can get back to feeling good about ourselves because we have made mistakes that seem impossible to rectify.  Today John the Baptist points us in a better direction. He tells us “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made straight.”

Preparing a way for God in our lives is no different from any other preparation. Before we go Christmas shopping we make a list of people we are going to buy for. Before we cook the Christmas dinner we make a list of what we are going to need right down from the turkey to the tin foil. So too when we plan to make better paths for God to work in our lives, we need to make a list of holes we need to dig ourselves out of, and how exactly we are  going to fill them back in. The holes that were once filled with doubt and worry need to be filled with positive thoughts and fresh determination. The holes that kept us trapped in feelings of guilt and regret need to be filled with belief in God’s forgiveness. Where once we struggled with overly burdened lives we now need to stop and refocus on what’s important.

Rebuilding our lives might not be something we can do overnight, but we can all begin with the will to be different; the will to climb out of the holes we have dug and choose a better path.

“Every valley will be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low, winding ways will be straightened and rough roads made smooth”  (Today’s Gospel)