God in All

When Chaplain asked me where I’ve seen God in my life lately, I immediately thought about the changes ahead. As I’m graduating high school very soon and moving into a new chapter in my life, I’ve contemplated God’s plan for me. I've spent countless hours mulling over the frightening possibilities of the future; the things I can’t control. 

But, after reading this week's Lesson, I’ve come to understand that I don’t need to control the future, but let myself be “built” into the person that God wants me to be. My experiences, my successes, and even my failures have been God’s tests for me, from which I have learned and grown into the person I am today. I see God in all aspects of my life: I see him looking after my older brother in my family’s stead, I see him in the beauty of our campus, and I see him in the Thursday morning prayer community which I am so grateful to be a part of. But most of all, I feel God’s love for my parents, as they prepare to send their last two off to college. I know, just as is said in this week's Gospel, that God’s peace will reassure both myself and my parents of the unknown, and instead of fear, bestow upon us hope in the upcoming changes in our lives. Yet, it is important to acknowledge that change is not always easy or comfortable. There are moments when we resist the shifting tides, clinging to what is familiar and known. 

In these instances, God's presence can be found in the stillness within us, urging us to surrender to the transformative power of change. By relinquishing control and placing our trust in a higher plan, we open ourselves to the divine unfolding of our lives. With this reflection in mind, I invite you to also seek and contemplate God's presence in both the small and large shifts in your lives.

~Ellee H. '23