Most
of you have probably heard (perhaps too many times already this summer) the
song “All of Me” by John Legend. Well I have yet to overplay it, and I really like
it! It’s a love song, and as I was listening to it today I thought how well it
aligned with the invitation from God to love. One line goes, “Give your all to
me, I’ll give my all to you.” Then I was thinking about this whole volunteering
for two years in the example of Christ thing…If I am willing to give my all to
God, to my community mates, to my students, and to the broader community, God
will pour out all his love. Of course giving my all to God is much easier said
than done. Though entering into this commitment of service is a good place to
start. Another line in the song goes, “You’re crazy and I’m out of my mind.” I
am crazy. But God is out of his mind! And I love it.
Tomorrow
I begin a month of traveling, in the middle of which is my initial orientation
for JVC. It has been a mile marker to look forward to since I accepted my
placement with the program. I am really looking forward to spending time with
other volunteers and absorbing all the information about what exactly we’ve
signed up for. I am mostly looking forward to having two weeks for the explicit
purpose of being a JV, in prayer and in small groups all focusing on where we
are and where God is and where we are going with God. On my journey my call to
service is one that I understand comes from God, and I firmly believe this is God’s
will for my life at this time. But since being accepted I have rarely prayed or
brought my worries and excitement to God in prayer. It’s a fault I fall into
often, but I take advantage of God’s presence in my life and only commit time
to our relationship when it is set aside for me i.e. this orientation. I
anticipate it being a prayerful experience. The challenge will be to keep up
with the prayer once I am back home. If you were going to say a prayer for me,
let it be that I commit more time to God in prayer.
I
want to thank everyone who has donated to my fundraising thus far! If you haven’t
had an opportunity yet here is the link: https://jesuitvolunteers.myetap.org/fundraiser/sendmetoserve/search.do
You
can type in my name, select it, and hit “sponsor me” on my fundraising page.
Your continued prayers are greatly appreciated. I came across this quote in The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything
“Fear not; the things you are afraid
of are quite likely to happen to you, but they are nothing to be afraid of.”
Peace