To be very clear for my nay sayers that continue to read my blog, I do not condone the use of drugs at all. Tons of reasons for another day so get the “high” part out of your head. Moving along… the “high” i’m speaking of is the overwhelming, unending, out pour of love you have for your faith, your church and the people you endure a certain experience with. As I sat today and watched my step-son give his testimony of his time at Confirmation Retreat in front of God and everyone, I couldn’t help but think of the high he was experiencing.
Topic of the day: Fad Diet or Catholicism?
You wouldn’t normally think those two topics go together and for some reading this you still may not get it. Maybe it’s because you haven’t been through an experience with your church to experience the high but nevertheless please read on. So you go on a retreat whether it is an ACTS retreat or a Confirmation Retreat or any sort of faith filled encounter that strengthens your relationship with Jesus Christ. Whoa! You come back to your family and friends and here you are, high with love for your church and all things holy. You hold on to this feeling because let’s be honest IT IS AMAZING. But then something happens. Life.
You see, not everyone else is on the same high as you. Not everyone else has had this awesome experience that keeps you yearning and thirsting to find more ways to be closer to God. So here it comes your normal life you left to go on this experience. You come home to the same pile of laundry, the same routine, the same issues and leaky faucet that was there before. You can’t seem to figure out what everyone else’s problem is. You begin to get frustrated and just like a fad diet, you go to the pantry and grab the bag of chips and cookies and just start eating because you feel defeated and your family is still going to love you even if you are on the heavier side.
Come on. We have all done that one. “So what if I eat this cake, my husband loves me for the way I am.” Yes he surely does, and trust me my friends, you can eat all the cake you want. But. You will feel bad. You will feel disappointed in yourself. You will question your choices. The same way you will as you let Satan back into your life and let God out of it. If you go have an awesome experience at your church or wherever and you come home and do not change the things you worked on, then you will ruin your diet and become disappointed.
But wait. The responsibility doesn’t solely fall on just you. That would be too easy to place the blame. The responsibility also falls on your tribe. The people you love and care about. The people sitting in those pews watching you after your retreat cheering you on. The ones who supported you and prayed for you to have an uplifting experience. Those people have the responsibility of keeping you high on Catholicism. If you come home and those loved ones automatically start being negative, finding the bad in every situation and not helping you walk your faith path for the better, then they have not been true supporters in your ultimate happiness. This is hard, yes I know, but the worst thing to do is to go on a retreat and come home to negativity. It happens and it can ruin the moment. So I ask you, my fellow supporters of your loved ones, to please be positive. Continue to allow that flame to ignite in your faith and know that the feeling can last forever. Trust me it does for me!!
You surround yourself with people who love and care about not only you, but your faith choices too. Sure, you may end up having to eat a slice of cake at a birthday party to not be socially awkward, but that doesn’t have to ruin it. We all know that we may come encountered with situations or people that we will have to just go ahead and eat the cake with. But know and remember the high you are on and that you can persevere through any situation God hands you. He already knows the plans he has for you. We have to allow God to do his work and to use our hands to do his work. Don’t let your Catholic high diminish like a fad diet. We owe Him so much more than that. Work hard towards your faith goals. Talk about your experience if you went on a retreat. Get others to be as excited as you are. Your positivity will not go unnoticed.
The last thing I will say is this: Do not be afraid to show others the love you have for God. Sure, some may not understand and some may not practice Catholicism. That’s okay. Keep talking and spreading His love. Do not be embarrassed to speak on your faith. It is our duty to make sure we continue to spread the good news. With your help, and that of others, we can make sure the Catholic church is alive for many years to come. God wants us to be happy and to share that happiness with everyone. He gives us all the tools to do so, it is our job to follow through with His plan.
Hugs and Loves,
Ali
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely; In all your ways be mindful of him and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
