The Retreat
This past Saturday was filled with promises for our Catechists; from 10 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. 125 children were under our care. We had three charismatic speakers: Karina, Tanner and Gwen. Each of them offered both spiritual and practical lessons. Their gifts encompassed one word: love. How did Jesus remain in their hearts? They are all in their mid-twenties, yet the love of God prevails in their spirits. How did they escape all the fiery darts of the Enemy? The answer is twofold; they have prayer warriors interceding on their behalf and they, themselves, are grounded in God. This does not necessarily imply that their lives are without challenges; it simply means that they are better equipped to release their problems through prayer or to discuss them with spiritual friends. They figured out long ago that they are never alone and that the Lord is ever present in their lives. Through every season God is there for them.
Being Grounded
We have a well-rooted tree in our backyard. The deciduous tree has many emotions. In the fall, the leaves shed and without notice; they turn into brilliant hues of red and brown. This natural occurrence has to take place in order for the tree to give out beautifully scented, white blossoms. These blossoms not only adorn the tree, they blanket the ground. From there the tree remains a staple in our backyard, providing shade during the hot summer months. We experience similar seasonal changes; we go through difficult times, shed tears, dust ourselves off, and wash our faces. How do we know it’s going to get better? we can only have that assurance if we are grounded in God. Because of our faith in God, we not only have hope that difficult situations will get better, we trust that they will soon pass. Those who get stuck in life’s rut and refuse the change of seasons in their lives will remain spiritually stunted. God gave us nature as a metaphor for the seasons of our lives. After the leaves fall a great wind clears the way. In order to produce the sweet fragrant blossoms, we must shed the old leaves.
Shedding is Forgiving
If you have become that person who sees only the faults of others and cannot understand why they do not change, you may be the problem. You may be stuck in a season of unforgiveness because you are carrying luggage filled with rocks. Each of these heavy rocks has the names of the people you are angry with and refuse to forgive written on them. Your negative self-talk has consumed your thoughts, and it pains you as to why you’re misunderstood. It is never the intention of God to see anyone suffer alone, but it is a season for you to reflect on your life, surrender your emotional pain to God and allow Him carry that heavy load. The seasons, like our lives, are a cycle. The choice is so simple and the task so easy; one by one, leave these burdens at the foot of the Cross. Allow yourself to arrive in time to catch the perfect blossom. Visualize it! Place it in the heavenly bouquet for God’s glory.
Luke 23:42-43 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
The Foot of the Cross
26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
Gwen
Of the three special guest speakers, I know Gwen personally. This young lady is an inspiration and she will prevail in every area of her life because she puts God first. I’ve witnessed her heart in action and the love that she has for these Catechists is remarkable. When her future husband enters her life, he will be handpicked by God. The Lord gives us the desires of our heart when we remain faithful to His word (Ps 37:4). Gwen certainly has done this. Gwen led the Catechists into the art project. The project was based on Luke 11:9-13.
9 “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
It was enlightening to see the artwork because the Catechists expressed their moods. One of the girls in our group drew what looked like an abstract, a mixture of colors splattered on the 8 by 11-inch canvas. She explained to me that her life was, “A big mess!” I replied, “A big colorful mess with a lot of hope.” She smiled and asked if I wanted her painting, while the other girls chimed in with the same offer. My quick response, “Oh – you girls all have grandmothers, I’m sure that they would love to have your drawings.” These young adults expressed themselves freely during this retreat, through prayer, art and fun and games. It was a treasure in my heart to be part of molding their spiritual direction. We ended the retreat with Mass.
