I should start by sharing the story of my journey getting closer with Jesus. It was long and hard but I made it and I could not be happier with my relationship with Him. I was always that good catholic girl who went to church and receive my sacraments but I never fully invested myself in a relationship with God. I never appreciated how much He affects our lives and all He does for us until I really became close with Him.
Towards the end of high school, I found myself in a terrible place looking for anyone to save me, later I found that was myself, whom I found through my journey with God. After seeing a newsletter about my local churches Youth Group, I had a feeling deep in my chest that I should take this opportunity and make it change my life. I was TERRIFIED. Terrified that I was not worthy enough or did not fit the criteria of someone who would be a member of youth group. I took that leap of faith (literally) and I never looked back. After becoming one of the leaders for the youth group, going on life changing retreats and meeting friends I will never forget, I am so grateful I made that decision to be more involved in the church.
There were a lot of challenges I faced while going to college that no one knew about because I kept it very discrete. It all had to do with my religion and my morals... it was an internal conflict between what would make me cool in college and who I really was. A conflict of what the average college student "does" versus Gods truth for us.
Throughout this time of deep thoughts and decisions about my own morals, I realized that the Bible is up to our own interpretation. Not one person is wrong or right about it because as we all know, Jesus is not here telling us exactly what each passage means. We take them and implement them into our own lives and learn from them that way.
The first conflict for me was the party culture, I wanted to be social but never reach over boundaries that would disrespect my beliefs. I knew Jesus always said to follow the law and obey your elders, I also knew that Jesus enjoyed drinking wine with his disciples and it was part of the culture. I understood that balance was a key part of keeping my faith in college. Therefore I decided to do some of what my peers did and not to do the rest. It was hard because not many people understand and accept that ones faith may be so strong that they decide not to do one thing or the other. But it was never an obligation. I decided on my own to not give in to peer pressure and it has made me stronger ever since.
The second conflict I had and have always had was the opinions of others. With social media being a huge part of our everyday lives, we tend to compare ourselves to others and become connected to that instant gratification. If it were up to me I would ban iPhones from Amy social event or family gathering but that would not be realistic. It is so important to take a step back and think; is this what I want for myself? Is this what God wants for me? The answers to these questions changed my perspectives on so many things.
It was so great to have the support of people from my own church and the people at campus ministry who were so welcoming to me. I put my trust in the Lord and He reciprocated in ways I couldn't have imagined. I went on so many adventures instead of being hungover from the night before, had so many laughs and my heart was full.
After this past year of learning what it really means to be a catholic girl, I have come to believe that love is the number priority. The people of the church will tell you what to do and what not to do (and of course there are rules we as Christians should abide by) BUT like I said before, it is all up for interpretation. I believe the way we can show our good faith and our love for God is to care for others and love them.
We are like a candle created by Him but that little candle has the power to light up 1,000 more candles. Now a days, people in this generation will look at their phones for Instagram likes and Snapchat because it gives them instant gratification. It is great, but it lasts for not even a minute. The real gratification for me is to see what God has created in this life for me and soak it all in. Think about the people I have met, the opportunities I have been given, the food and water accessible to us and even the land we can call our home.
One way or the other, God has created this life for us and it all has so much meaning. So be grateful because you are so blessed. Be the light that lights up others and never stop caring.
