Hearing his message this morning made leaving the house at 6:30am after going to bed at 12:30am worth it!
I've never heard someone talk about stewardship quite the way he did today. I'm paraphrasing here but what he shared was, "Everyone has something they enjoy and do well. Do what you do well and with reckless abandon. Be like a child and do it over and over until you can't do it anymore...then get up and do it again! Offer it up and if there isn't anywhere or anyplace where you can offer up your gifts, then create the outlet for it!"
I've been meditating on what Father said all day and see people doing things well all around me. When I went to Sheetz after mass to put air in my back tires, I thought of how well someone worked to make those tires. They carry my car and me safely to and from all the places I go...and believe me, there are many places!! Just today, alone, I went to 8 different places!
As I ate my breakfast in the parking lot of the Greensboro Montessori School, I focused on the school's motto of, "Engage. Learn. Grow". What great words to live by huh?! I thought of how well all those teachers are performing their jobs to meet the needs of their students and how well all the students do when they put forth their best effort and try their hardest at their studies! And all those parents...how well they all work to provide the best they can for their kiddos.
Later, as I did some work at Panera, I was appreciative of how hard the high school boy was working as he tidied up the drink area and offered to take away my dish. Then, at Zumba, I couldn't help but marvel at how well my instructor, Whitney, not only teaches the class, but handles herself when faced with challenges.
Driving home on this sunny September Sunday, with the windows rolled down and Kim Kalman's music blaring on my radio, I couldn't help but think of how all of these people, both strangers and those who are near and dear to me, and how they are doing their one thing (or more) well, it makes me want to do better and to keep on pushing myself!! Look at how well God made this beautiful planet on which we live...don't we owe it to ourselves to make every day we're here count through offering our talents and gifts?! Angela Faddis is certainly an example of living life well & facing dying with a surreal grace. May many blessings fall on her husband and her two children she left behind two days ago.
To Angela and others, thanks for the inspiration! Whitney is doing it through her terrific zumba. Sheresa is doing it through keeping me on track with dissertation writing. Margo, Lynne, & Dr. Compton are doing it by keeping me sane & providing tons and tons of support, probably more than should be allowed..ha! Alisha, Brian, Mark, & Liz are doing it through being amazing mommies & daddies to my cherished niece & nephews. Patrick is doing it by well, just being himself. ;) Ashley is doing it by always replying to my random text messages and being there in a pinch with a word (or five!) of support and encouragement. Meredith does it well by helping me with research stuff....my parents do it well by listening, even if they don't quite understand why I might be upset or what it is exactly that I'm doing...if I were to sit here and list how everyone were doing their one thing well....well, I'd be here all day so I'll have to cut it off here.
My point is, find your one thing and go out there and do it with reckless abandon. Find your passion. Go after it with all you've got as we are not promised tomorrow but only have today!
Today is the feast day of Padre Pio, a saint I
admire very much. He's been quoted as saying, "Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the
key to God's heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips, but
with your heart. In fact on certain occasions you should only speak to
Him with your heart." - St. Padre Pio so if we pray well, we do well don't you think?!
He also has said this, "Pray, hope, & don't worry..." which again reminds me of what Fr. Chris said about being like a child. Children don't worry and almost operate without a sense of fear when they are doing what they do...so let's all try a little harder to be more like the children this week. What is it that you do well???
admire very much. He's been quoted as saying, "Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the
key to God's heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips, but
with your heart. In fact on certain occasions you should only speak to
Him with your heart." - St. Padre Pio so if we pray well, we do well don't you think?!
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