|
Peace be with you! I pray that the end of the summer is proving to be a time of rest for each of you. As I write this letter, I am no longer sitting at my computer in Canada but have made a life-changing move to the U.S.A. I am here to begin studies towards a Master’s degree at the John Paul II Pontifical Institute. I have been here in Washington D.C. for three days now and would like to take this opportunity to reflect upon my journey of surrendering to God’s plan – for I am here in Washington only because of the grace and providence of God. He knows better than I do where I should be! The events leading to where I am today are true signs that when God wants something of us, He WILL provide the means necessary to achieving the goal. What I have learned – and am continuing to learn – is that we must actively trust in His wisdom and strive to let go so that He can move in, working through us and in our lives. For the better part of last year, I truly believed (hoped) that I was headed for Australia to begin my Master’s in Theology with a focus on Marriage and the Family at the Institute there. For whatever reason at that time (now I know it was God’s hand), I also applied to the Institute here in D.C.; yet, I had no intention whatsoever of moving to the States! For months I prayed and told God that I would surrender my life, my family and friends to venture to the other side of the world to study theology. However, one night in January of this year, while sitting in front of the tabernacle in the campus chapel, I realized something incredibly humbling. For months, I had been letting God know that I would follow Him to the ends of the earth (Australia) if only He gave me the grace. At no time had I offered to surrender myself to His will and head to the States or anywhere else for that matter. This realization hit me like a ton of bricks! Without being fully aware of it, I had created my own agenda for how my life was to unfold. So, at that moment, I took a deep breath and prayed that if it was God’s will, I would go to Washington. Well, that’s all it took. Within the next few months incredible events began to take place – all leading me closer to D.C. For example, I passed my GRE exams (standardized testing to study in the States), for which I had only studied nine days in advance; e-mails that I was sending to Australia were no longer generating responses. In fact, the application package I sent to Australia by Priority Post last winter seemed to vanish off the face of the earth. Since I surrendered to God’s plan, I literally heard nothing more from Australia! To top it all off, one day in late January I received a phone call from a man of incredible faith and generosity. I had written to him, inquiring whether he would be willing to fund some of the cost for my education. We chatted for a while and within four days, I received a call from his secretary informing me that he was willing to fund my year’s tuition and living expenses to study not in Australia, but in D.C.! I was shocked and humbled for this truly was the most outright experience of Divine Providence I had ever had. I wondered, at that moment, how I could ever have doubted that God truly has a specific plan for each of our lives and that He will enable His plan to be realized in the most tremendous ways! After that phone call, I knew for sure that the Lord wanted me in Washington and like Mary, albeit in some uncertainty, I uttered my fiat to Him. So, now I am here, sitting in my new bedroom, still in a state of shock that I am really here – but this shock is permeated by great thanksgiving and praise for the plan that God has for my life. What have I learned from this incredible adventure? I have learned that one must truly ponder the countless times within Scripture that Christ tells us not to be afraid, to follow Him, not to worry – these are not empty statements but true articles of faith and we are called to recognize their authenticity. Once we are able to realize that God truly holds us in the palm of His hand, we will experience life in a brand new way – we will be free from all that prevents us from knowing and loving Christ more – worry, anxiety, doubt, fear, etc. Christ will consume all this for us – if only we let go and let Him.
Until next month, Jen
|