ONE MORE

I do get phone calls, asking if I will help another child or teen to get up to speed, concerning what is behind our faith.  I never tire of these calls. Rather, I get excited, willingly ready to bring one more to the faith. I have found that I really do not bring only that one closer to God, I bring in the family. This has not my intention, yet I find what I say is then shared with others.  What a bonus from God!

Teaching about my faith is my passion. We all have passions. It may be the art of cooking, an art of helping another understand algebra, or an art of getting others involved in community service. I am blessed with the art of rhetoric, in the subject matter of how important God is in every moment of our lives. The more I understand about God, the more I want to share my knowledge with others. I go beyond the miracles of God, saying how we can have Him actively in our everyday lives.

I have been awed in how He has helped me; now I must awe others, through the Word  of God. It is fascinating to see how He is there, though we do not t expect Him to be. As I share my thoughts with others, it can bring an ‘aha!’ moment, or a smile on the face. All of us need a tap on the shoulder, telling us how God is there, even though we are not thinking about it at that specific moment.

All of us need to go beyond ourselves, seeing how we can help our brethren. Feel the touch of God, and reach out to others, through our words and through our actions. After all, we are to live our lives in the image of God. Take these words seriously.  Think about each thought, word or action taken. Is this how God wants us to deliver the message? Sometimes, we might catch ourselves, realizing what we are doing is really is not the way God wants us to be.  At these moments, we can only smile, asking God for forgiveness. If He sees our sincerity, we will be absolved, but we must continue on, living in the way God prefers.

I may be giving words of kindness to a nine year old, a 16 year old or someone who is 60. I never look at what I share as my words. They are what God has asked me to say. He continually talks to me, communicating His thoughts through me.  It is a privilege to share His Words. He has given me a gift, to make what He has to say to be of interest to others, to brighten their eyes, wanting them to spark an interest, excited to learn more.

I am not the only one with this gift.  Each person reading this has the same present. We have to do what God wants, not being timid to share His love for everyone. It is not always easy.  But, feel the strength of God, who is with us, no matter the second, minute, or hour of the day!!

A TEEN'S EXCITEMENT

I have been assisting a delightful young man, age 17, preparing him for receiving some of the sacraments of the Church. He is devoted to his faith, portraying a strong sense of spirituality through all he says. He is quite excited about receiving the sacraments, something not always seen in a teen. His eyes capture one, as they portray his deep seeded love for God.
A part of my philosophy in teaching is to get to know students as individuals. I want each one to know me on a personal level, as well as me getting to know them. Those in front of me are not just a number or a body; they each have a character, blessed by the Spirit, and I am interested to know what it is. I want to embrace them for who they are. I can incorporate my experiences and wisdom into their lives, but I cannot expect them to be just like me. They are to live their lives in the image of God, not in the image of me.
Following my philosophy, I asked my polite teen if he had enjoyed the weekend. He said it was good, but he was tired from staying up so late the night before. I asked him what he had been doing, to go to bed at 2AM. He had been working on his truck, he told me. As I proceeded to ask him what he was doing on his truck, one question following another, I learned just what a great person he is. In the course of the conversation, I found out what his family means to him, what they have taught him, and what pride he has in everything he takes on in life. He showed me the cross he wears on a chain around his neck, saying how special it is. He told me how he practices humility, using the talents God gave him to benefit others.
Our session time went beyond how long we were to meet. I hated to tell him we had to end, as Mass was ready to start; we needed to go into the Church, leaving the room we were in. He could not believe our session was finished, that there must still be time to talk about more things.
He became my teacher that session. His excitement flowed over, so filled with the love of God. He is truly an example of living the faith.

NICOLAS

Many of you have heard me talk about Nicolas, the 17 year old who was in a snowboarding accident, leaving him in a coma. You all have prayed for him and have continued to think about him, asking how he is. Just tonight, he sent me a note, saying how much better he is, after telling him he must get depressed from time to time. He said he does not get depressed, but there are frustrating moments. What a gentle soul he is, to go through everything he has experienced and say he gets frustrated at times! At this stage in his life, he should be out building memories of being a high school senior. Instead, he is only trying to get back being at the level where he used to be. Think back to your teenage years. Can you imagine, having fun, enjoying school, doing fabulous artwork, and in the next second, all of this being taken away from you? No, I cannot imagine this!
Nicolas has made tremendous progress. He is doing schoolwork and converses beautifully. Yet, there are still missing parts. Though he may not feel he has patience, I see him being a perfect example of this virtue. We may think of patience as remaining happy as we wait in the grocery line. By the time we are home, with our goods put away, we forget all about that wait, as our minds divert to the next simple task facing us. Nicolas, on the other hand, has a long wait ahead. Yet, this delightful young man does not give up. He is living out this virtue. He knows it is a long haul to get back what he has lost; but he continues to climb this mountain, scattered with many obstacles.
We can learn from Nicolas. It does not matter that he may be younger we are. What matters is his strong faith in God. Through his faith, he knows he can meet each hurdle, gradually getting over it and moving on to the next hurdle.
Next time we have to wait in line somewhere, or did not make the green light while getting anxious to be reaching our destination, we need to think of Nicolas. He keeps hitting red lights on his journey, but he sits back and waits, knowing that green light will come.