There was a point in my life, five years ago – a turning point if you will. It was a point where I realized that I was just going through the motions in my faith, in life really, and that there was something extraordinary about our faith, about Christ. It was a point where I realized I was not living up to my end of the bargain, where God has blessed me with so much, and yet, I was not being His light out in the world.
Fast-forward five years. My son is now days away from being 10 years old. My wife and I are days away from our 18thwedding anniversary. (Yes, we all share the same day in our family as our son was born on our eighth wedding anniversary)
Am I in a different place than I was five years ago? Am I in a better place? Am I living my faith and being Christ’s light to the world? Yes, and no. One of the biggest blessings in my life is to be able to share my love for writing and scripture with all of you every week, and so in that aspect I hope that I am bringing Christ’s Light to the world. My faith and my prayer life has definitely deepened, and I continuously try to surround myself with like-minded people. Most extra-curricular activities I’m involved in are church ministries. My wife and I work together in many of those ministries. I write or maintain three Catholic websites. I coach for a Christian Cross-Country team, of which my son is a part. I work for a Christian company, where I have been for almost a year. Christ is everywhere in my life.
So, in many, many ways, I am in a better place than I was five years ago, but it many respects there was not really any other way to go but up. Christ is now the center of my family. But I look at where I am right now, and I realize how much further I have to go. There are so many aspects of my life where I still do not live out my faith, where I do not being the Light of Christ to those around me like I should, like I need to. So many areas where I let my personal plan and comfort and desires get in the way. So many areas where I still have to grow. And so I’m still searching with how I can better live this mission, and live my purpose out in the world.
Think of your own life – do you do the same? Where are you in your journey, and how well do you do at bringing the light of Christ into the world. How well do you do at living your faith out in the world?
I write this because today is the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist. Now, we all may think – well how can we be like John, and we may think, I don’t want to. He lived by himself out in the desert and lived on locusts and honey. He was probably a pretty rough looking guy.
But the thing is, God had a mission for him, and a purpose. He had a very important mission and purpose – to literally usher in the Light of Christ, Christ the Person, into the world. And just like with John – God has a purpose and a mission for each of us. We just have to choose to live it. It was a turning point when John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Christ, and we all can have our own turning point where we can choose to live our faith out in the world, and bring Jesus to those around us.
The thing is, for most of us, our mission and purpose is the little things – living our Catholic faith out in the world, no matter where we are, raising our kids in the faith, faithfully loving our spouses in Christ-centered marriages, and simply being men and women of faith and integrity. Working with Christian morals and integrity. Living with Christian morals and integrity.
It’s a tough world, and we may find ourselves in deserts from time to time, barely surviving, wondering about where we are in life. But know that we are all here for a purpose and a mission, and that is to bring the light of Christ to the world, just as John the Baptist did.
Our job is to find the best way with which we can do that.
