# Breaking Personal Barriers and Trusting God’s Repayment
*2019-11-17*

> Bill shares how he finally broke a long‑standing personal sales goal and a college grade barrier, then connects those experiences to the Catholic teaching on God’s repayment and the need to serve out of love.

## A Personal Barrier Finally Broken

For seven years I could never reach the $4,000 personal sales goal for the Miami Dolphins Foundation raffle. I kept getting close—$3,800, $3,900—but never quite there. This year, after our manager let us keep selling tickets well into the fourth quarter, a last‑minute sale pushed me over the line to $4,400. The joy of finally breaking that barrier after so long was unforgettable.

A similar story happened in college. I struggled to earn an A in any of my regular courses. After deciding to change my approach—doing every assignment, reading the textbook, and studying diligently—I began to earn A’s consistently. Both experiences taught me that perseverance and putting in the extra effort are essential to overcoming personal limits.

## Spiritual Insight: Repayment in the Resurrection

Today’s reflection comes from the devotional “One Bread, One Body,” which cites Luke 14:14: “You should be pleased that they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” God’s repayment is not about earthly rewards; it is a promise of eternal justice at the resurrection.

The Holy Spirit is the first “payment” we receive now, empowering us to serve God. The second payment will come at the end of our earthly life, as St. Teresa of Ávila reminds us that those who work for God are often “paid in troubles,” yet those trials are the price of true love for Him.

Scripture reinforces this: 2 Cor 12:2, 2 Tim 3:12, and James 1:2‑4 all speak of perseverance, suffering, and the refining of our motives. If we serve God hoping for worldly gain, we miss the true reward He offers.

## Prayer for Pure Service

Father, help me to serve You not for the hope of repayment, but simply because I love You with all my heart. May I seek the poor, the lost, and those who have separated themselves from the Church, trusting in Your boundless mercy.

We also pray the Novena to Divine Mercy, day five, asking the Lord to draw to Himself the souls who have drifted away, that they may return to the unity of the Church.

## The Daily Rosary and Joyful Mysteries

We continued with the daily rosary, focusing on the Joyful Mysteries: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation, and the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. Each mystery reminds us of humility, love of neighbor, poverty of spirit, obedience, and the joy of finding Christ.

## Closing Thoughts

I’m grateful for the opportunity to share these personal and spiritual reflections. May we all keep breaking our own barriers, trusting that God’s ultimate repayment comes at the resurrection, and may we serve Him out of pure love.

*True service is motivated by love, not the expectation of earthly reward, trusting that God will repay us fully at the resurrection.*