Now is the Time to Act

Written by Rachel Conner on the Third Sunday of Lent

When I was younger I had a really hard time making decisions, especially when those decisions involved leaving my very small comfort zone. Friends and family would ask me to go places and do things, and I was filled with anxiety at the thought of leaving my sphere of familiarity. After all, I liked it there and I knew what was expected of me. However, many of the opportunities I was offered seemed fun and exciting and I knew they would give me a chance to live out my faith in a vibrant and tangible way. I often found myself caught between being uncomfortable and unsure and doing something God might be asking me to do. I couldn’t bring myself to decide whether to go or whether to stay, and my indecision ended up becoming my decision.

Then, at the beginning of my senior year of high school, my mom asked me if I wanted to go on a mission trip to Guatemala in the spring. I said, “I’ll think about it.” She heard, “Oh my gosh, I would totally love to go!” After a whirlwind of events that I had very little control of, I found myself with a plane ticket, passport, and a donated gift for the organization I would be working with. I was on my way to Guatemala without ever having officially agreed to go.

Looking back, I am so thankful to have gone on that trip. I encountered Christ in the form of those I was serving and in the leaders of the program. I was the youngest member of the trip by about 40 years, but I was welcomed with open and loving arms by the other group members. I saw how important community was to the people I was serving and how reliance on each other was second nature for them.

I’m eternally grateful that I never got the chance to turn down the opportunity to travel to Guatemala. When I returned I couldn’t help but wonder what if I had missed opportunities because of my indecision. What chances for personal growth had I let pass by? What might God have been calling to in those places I was too worried to go? I resolved from then on to never let a chance pass me by, and to actively reach out of my comfort zone.

God has placed many opportunities before me as he does for all of us, and it’s up to us to take action and respond.

Questions for reflection:
Has there ever been a time when you had trouble making a decision?
What opportunities for action is God presenting you with right now?

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 Rachel Conner
Rachel is a peer minister at St. Mary Student Parish for the current academic year. She is originally from central Wisconsin, adores cats, and deeply loves to travel.
Email: rconner@smspnewman.org