This upcoming weekend, Chris and I will be facilitating a retreat for 44 high school students titled, “Living Awake”. Our end in mind is to help foster an awareness in the students of how God has been in their lives and how God is in their lives working moment by moment.
As we prepare for the retreat, this question keeps popping in my head:
How do you foster a sense of awareness of God in your life?
If you do not mind, Chris and I would both appreciate hearing your responses to this question. We both can answer this for ourselves, but we would greatly appreciate hearing from other people so we can share more ideas with the students this weekend.
Becky Eldredge
Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.
When I think of God in my life my first thought is- what gifts should I be thankful for? Basics- food, clothing, shelter, health. Family and friends are always big. I oftenthink of day-to-day encounters and experiences. Whatmoments did I feel Joy- God was inthat. When did I need strength-God was in that. When did I receive a helping hand?- God was there. When did I give to someone in need? Iet God work through me. And then a big one for me isCreation and nature- how many millions of miniscule parts of nuclei of cells does it take to make a single blade of grass?- God did that, and I get to enjoy the color, smell, texture of it. It makes me smile every time bc I know God isn’t just inthe big moments- he’s inthe tiny details too- so Hes with me all the time, I just have to be open.
Kendal,
thank you for sharing!
millions of miniscule parts of nuclei of cells…wow! That makes me think!
Bec,
Sometimes I feel that simply stopping what I am doing, even if for only 30 seconds, and looking at what is in front of me helps provide me with a sense of awareness of God’s presence. The other day, when I took Abby to the doctor, I remember putting her in her carseat and then just staring at her for a few seconds. My first thoughts were, “wow, she has gotten so big…she has some very pretty blue eyes…” These are things that I notice when I am aware of God’s presence – I see the beauty in others, the gift of their lives, and that makes me thankful for the gifts that I have in my life.
So, for me, just taking a moment and looking past the “obvious” and the “urgent” – looking deeper into the people around us and thanking God for who they are.