A Circle of Nine

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."  Matthew 18:20

Have you ever accepted an invitation to show up somewhere and “help” only to discover when it was all over that you were actually the one who was “helped”?   Last weekend when I volunteered to “help” as a chaperone at the Steubenville Youth Conference, I thought I was doing a small act of service for the Parish and the 60 kids who had signed up to go. Boy did I have that backwards!  One of the tasks of the chaperones is to facilitate a small group that meets several times throughout the weekend to   process everything they’re hearing, feeling and thinking.  The goal is to help them deepen their faith, and ensure the experience impacts them for longer than just a weekend.  The small group I worked with was a collection of nine fantastic young women you could imagine and they amazed and inspired me each time we met.
 
Before I get too far into the story, you should know that a small group discussion meeting is not on teenager’s top ten favorite things to do
list!  This group was an exception!  They were always eager to gather under a tree somewhere on campus and share their thoughts and see what
insights the other eight had to share. They amazed me time and time again! These lovely ladies are all recent graduates and they wanted to soak in everything they could before they charged off into the world.  They wanted to process the information but more importantly they wanted to talk about how they could weave it into the fabric of their being to help them become better disciples.  They want to LIVE their faith not just claim they have it!  
They laughed together, prayed together, cried together and they
did it all with such loving support of one another.  I’m not sure they realize how amazing their connection to each other really is.  They shared the ways
they felt God calling and working in their hearts with the same casual ease some adults talk about the weather.  It was just so natural and candid and honest.  They tackled some tough topics about college and prayer and personal brokenness.  I had the best spot at the conference and it was my pleasure, my joy and my great blessing to have been a part of this circle of nine amazing, beautiful, faithful, funny, loving young women.  God has great plans for those nine and I know with all certainty they will make good on His plans!

I guess the thing that made them so inspiring to me is that they were able to do something that we aren’t so good at as adults and that’s help each other share and grow in our faith.  They did it with such ease…like they were talking about the latest fashions or what they were having for lunch…it just flowed from their hearts.  I was very humbled and I realized I want what they have.  I went to help but they taught me there is something very important missing from many adults’ lives.  We don’t typically huddle together and talk about the grace God has slathered us with lately or about the way we feel Him working through us as we navigate our way through the challenges of everyday life.  Why don’t we?  We share tools, we share cleaning tips and recipes and we share our Kohl’s 30% off coupons but we don’t share the stories of God alive and present in our lives.  If you could only see the spark, the enthusiasm and the greatness that can come from a conversation like that you’d be convinced.  For now, you’ll just have to take my word for it and accept my invitation to gather a group of people and make Jesus the topic of conversation.  
 
I feel obligated to announce to the world that there are nine young women on fire for the Lord ready to let loose on the world…stand back…they have faith and they aren’t afraid to share it and live it. Good luck ladies and thank you for the blessing you’ve been to me and thank you for the way you are about to make a difference in this world!

A Seed To Plant:  Gather a few friends and talk about the work of the Father in your lives.  Start with a scripture verse and let it flow from there. 
I guarantee the graces will be abundant!
 
Blessings on your day!