Today is the feast day of Martha, the typical OC person, the patron saint of people who love to be in control.
I have experienced what it is like to be in control, to be followed and obeyed, to be heeded and sought for counsel and advice. It makes one heady and it can be intoxicating. Much like the physical experience of being in the rarefied atmosphere of high places. It warps the mind and distorts one’s senses and perception.
Many saints and many achievers have the tendency to be obsessive-compulsive. They have this strong urge to put things into order, to correct what is wrong, to align what is amiss. And the best way to do that is to be in control. The saving grace of saints is their ability to realize that in the end God is in control. For all their OC-ness, they know and can discern when to leave and lift everything up to God. To withdraw and to withhold. To give up control. To be small and insignificant.
No one wants to be small and insignificant. Yet, there are valuable lessons to be learned by being small and insignificant. After the giddiness and elation of the peaks of the mountain, it can be restful and refreshing staying in the shades of the valley floor.