To be honest, I don't really know what I'm doing...
2 Corinthians 12:9
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
I don't know where I'm heading from here on out and I'm sure many of us are in the same boat so I'm just taking things one day at a time and doing my best to live the 4 pillars of ESM.
Pillar 1: Prayer
Now that I'm not quarantined in my bedroom I can now go to the living room!!! (wow. winning at life. look at me go). It was getting to the point where I was so sick of praying in the same little spot everyday that I had to mix it up. I've found it helpful to change the prayer space every now and then. You know, jazz it up a little, keep things exciting.
Pillar 2 & 3: Intellectual Formation & Community Life
We're currently in the midst of learning Christology taught by our director, Fr. Charles.
We have class together multiple times a week and it's so nice to see everyone's faces and to see the banter still going around. Sometimes we stay on zoom and chill and chat hours after the class finishes (pros of having class early in the morning to suit the rest of the timezones!)
Fr. Charles also recorded live talks to help us live and learn the Triduum, which are open to the public.
I've also been listening to Fr. Josh's podcast 'The Furnace'
As well as Matt Fradd's 'Pints with Aquinas'
Pillar 4: Missionary Formation
To be honest, I don't know what missionary formation looks like in isolation but this is what myself and a few others have been doing.
Letter writing
A good friend of mine had an awesome idea of sending letters to our local nursing home. You can join if you like! As a classic English teacher, she sent a template of how you can formulate one. In this letter, you could:
Introduce yourself: your passions and interests
Share a funny experience from the past few weeks that might lift the mood. Immerse the reader in your story with vivid description.
Reflections during this time that you've had
Something you're looking forward to or that you no longer take for granted
Excerpts from something you've enjoyed recently (song lyrics, book, newspaper)
A photo you've taken and the story behind it.
Written pieces like this work best when there's cohesion and an overarching theme - so think about what that might be. Everyone loves long letters, so maybe it could be more than a page? Make them personal and unique (font, pictures, photos, write as you talk).
Sharing my testimony
I was very touched by the responses I got from sharing my testimony in a short video and I'm telling you - it's because I had truth on my heart and I felt an urge to share it!
Be open to what God is asking of you. I know a lot of the time He sounds like dead silence but if you're open to what God wants he will inspire you to do things that push you out of your comfort zone and it will have its effects.
Things to fill my time
- Feasting
- Drinking wine
- Practising guitar
- Getting dressed up to go grocery shopping
- Reading
- Exercising
- Struggling to drink enough water
- Dying my hair
- Contemplating whether I should cut my own hair
- Creating dance tutorials out of pure boredom
- Studying health and wellness online
Like I said before, I don't know where I'm heading at the moment but I'm just hangin' in there and keeping myself occupied. Not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to rest on the Lord; to trust that He's taking care of things and is with us through it all.
