Monday, November 2, 2009

Agape!


“Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom just so you know how it feels.”

We have all been there.

You find your life spinning down a path you weren’t expecting it to go. Whether that is making poor decision, giving into peer pressure, or just loosing that internal motivation that made you stay disciplined to reach your goals. No, doing the right thing is not always easy. Big accomplishments do not come from two days of being dedicated, the big rewards in life come from daily obligations that last an extended amount of time.

As always, once again I have found my life busy with meetings, travel, classes, making up missed classes, and trying to make time for people in between all of that. It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of everyday life and forget about the big picture.

This past weekend I participated in a retreat that I needed more than I could have ever known. Pathways is the name of the retreat that the Manhattan St. Isidores church puts on once a year, allowing no more than 30 retreatants to participate. My name was randomly drawn to be one of those 30 college students to go on the retreat….coincidence, not at all.

It was quite comical how nervous I was for the retreat, I knew very little of what was going to happen. Most of the time I know exactly what the retreat entails, that’s probably because most of the time I am the one putting it on. Pathways kept everything very mysterious, they didn’t even tell us what time they were going to wake us up in the morning! For a gal who has her planner attached to her hip most of the time this was a l little hard to swallow.

I would love to tell you all about the details of the retreat, however that would routine the experience. I can say that God placed me in the hands of those retreat staff this weekend for a very clear reason. The words they shared with me helped me realize that my busy life and tendency to say yes to any obligation presented to me is something I must change. There should always, always be time for the most important part of life—our faith.

Here are a few take-aways you may find helpful in evaluating your life:

“Have you found yourself busy, doing things all day long, and yet at the end of the day you still feel an empty spot in your heart?”


“Jesus Christ lives in all of us. Faith is centered around service. Why wouldn’t you want to serve others on earth? You are serving Jesus, God’s children, and your brothers and sisters when you help others.”

“God doesn’t make junk. You are a masterpiece. Yes, we all have flaws, but trust that he made you just the way you are for a reason.”




“Everything happens in God’s time. Be patient, and have trust that He will take care of you.”

One of the coolest take-away’s from the retreat was learning the meaning of Agape. Agape is a Greek word meaning God’s unconditional love. This past weekend, that old school house we stayed out was filled with much Agape, and hopefully all of us who participated will continue to share that Agape with everyone we meet.

Take a look at your life. Are you living in an artificial world full of pointless meetings, material goods, and selfish people? Or have you found the real world where God’s love fills your heart and you are able to share his light with those around you with more actions than words?

Thank you to those who helped make this weekend possible. Thank you to my family who loves me and has always supported me despite the times I didn’t believe in myself. Thank you to our Lord who knew where to put me at just the right time.