Day 9 of IMPACT | May 12, 2015
This is a post I've been meaning to write for the past couple days - but unfortunately (or fortunately!!) our first day at our parishes this Sunday and our first free night yesterday night made me end up going non-stop all weekend (and slacking off on sleep, but that's another story).
It has been such a blessed weekend. It was incredible to see the large amount of work the Lord and our parish pastor went to ensure our successes and an easy transition for the IMPACT team to arrive there. All I can say that I was incredibly shocked, humbled, and moved by the joy and welcome of the parishioners and my truly inspiring and wonderful team.
I met a woman after one of the Sunday Masses at my parish who I got to sit down and chat with for a while and who donated a large box of donations - like a "survivor kit" - to me and the rest of my team at the parish. I got a chance to share a little bit of my story and what got me to come to IMPACT, and she shared with me hers - a moving, truly inspiring story of her and her daughter. It truly shocked me and humbled me with her openness towards me and the rest of the IMPACT team, and ultimately her beautiful joyful attitude despite being in the face of many, many challenges and trials that faced both her and her daughter. When I told her that her joy inspires me, she told me, "every day is a gift from God and a blessing." This is a mentality that I always try to adopt in my life, but it is no surprise that it is very difficult. However, seeing her joy greatly inspires me and greatly motivates me and gives me hope.
The world had a negativity bias on it - and that's not fair. Not to us, and most certainly not to God. The truth of the matter is, and I am coming to realize, we are blessed beyond our wildest imaginations - and most definitely more than challenges are sent to us. The God of the universe loves us personally and always wants the best for us. It is so easy, and I am to exception, to focus on just the things that go wrong in life rather than all the many more times that things go right or that things fall into place. It's such a downer!
Even though that lovely woman was carrying the weight of her own cross, she still found it in her heart to be joyful, cheerful and giving to others. I am most humbled by the donations she offered to my parish team out of the little that she had - she was thinking of us before we even thought of her: it was absolutely humbling and left me speechless. We are all called to be generous - and trust that God will provide for us in turn. God uses all of us to provide for each other: and that is something that's incredibly beautiful. I think ultimately, every day is an incredible gift from our good Lord and it's up to use to use it wisely - for good, and tackle the negativity bias, or for not-so-good, and decide to conform to the negativity bias.
I'm coming to realize that going on mission this summer in Vancouver is not only about God changing lives through me. I think more importantly, God is using others to change mine.
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