Life Lessons of the Past Three Weeks

These past three weeks have been a whirlwind for me: Parish ministry, retreats, retreats at my parish, and oh yeah—a weekend in the snowy, frozen tundra of South Bend, Indiana—and most recently, a weekend with my family and our dear friends celebrating a wedding on the sunny shores of Southern California. 

During my trips and travels, as well as with my time on SPIRITUS, I have been blessed to spend time in conversation and prayer with a number of wonderful people who have given me new insight and perspective.  These people have allowed me to step outside of myself and look at things objectively, rather than getting sucked into the monotony and hopelessness of the daily struggle.  When I begin to sink into the waters of despair—especially during these past months of winter blah—God, in His infinite love and mercy has sent these moments and these people into my life to pick me up from the waters and let me be surrounded in love.  So, I would like to share a few conclusions I’ve arrived at these past few weeks, and hope that they can impact your life as much as they’ve impacted mine.

1.       Life is what you choose to make it.  Choose joy.

“You get out of it what you put into it.”  Each day you have the chance to make it a great day!  Some days will be harder than others, but the choice is up to you.

2.       Problems are only as big as the amount of attention you give to them.

How many times have we gotten caught up in the little things and turned them into big things?  In the grand scheme of things, the little annoyances probably won’t matter.  Will this matter in 5 years?  In one year?  Choose to let them go and love through them.

3.       Work will always be there.  Family and friends won’t.  Choose what matters to you and invest your time there.

Death can come sooner than we expect.  We know neither the time nor the hour.  If you need more explanation on this one, listen to the song “Cat’s in the Cradle.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJobJBOtyew  ‘Nuff said.

4.       If you have a dream, go for it.  Life is passing you by while you keep dreaming.

What’s stopping you?  Money?  Sure, but that’s going to be an obstacle anywhere.  Don’t let the small things keep you from accomplishing the big things.  (Like joining and/or supporting SPIRITUS!) Need some inspiration?  Check out this article about dream jobs: https://www.themuse.com/advice/should-you-apply-for-that-slightlyoutofreach-jobor-not

5.       Love isn’t perfect.  Love chooses to love through the imperfections.  Love is a choice.

I most recently heard a beautiful form of this at a wedding.  Wouldn’t life be great if we went into all our relationships and interactions with this mindset?  Well, you can.  The choice is yours.  And when you feel like you can’t do it, ask God for help.  He has more than enough love to shower upon us so we can share His love with others and love through the imperfections—even within ourselves.

Peace, love, and rising above,

Katie