Greetings all! It’s an honor to have been asked to submit a guest blog post while Becky’s away at her conference. I’m currently a senior here at UGA, with only two weeks until graduation. (Yikes!) After graduation, I’ll be moving to Charlotte to teach high school science with Teach for America, and I couldn’t be more excited. However, as many of you may remember (or will soon experience) this transition, whether it be for a job, internship or grad school, it can be very overwhelming. A huge chapter of your life is ending, and an even bigger one is beginning.

Last semester I was greatly resisting the upcoming change, afraid of leaving behind the friends I’ve grown so close to and this place that has been home to so many memories. The uncertainty of what would come after graduation was a constant burden and I was not looking forward to graduating. One day, some friends and I got together and our conversation inevitably turned to that fearful date in May when we would be going our separate ways. I expressed my anxiety about not knowing what was in store for me, and a friend, who has been a great source of joy and comfort for me over this past year, shared with me her favorite bible passage:

“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds.”  – Philippians 4:6-7

The simplicity of the message really hit me, and almost immediately I was overcome with a sense of peace and reassurance that everything would work out as God intends it to. While it wasn’t easy to “let go and let God,” my nerves began to settle and soon my future was falling into place perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle, and in a way that I would not have fathomed possible just a few months earlier.

God is constantly at work in our lives, even when we may not realize it or may feel lost in the hustle and bustle of our daily obligations, meetings, and deadlines.

Think of all the things going on in your life at this time. What have you been most anxious about that has prevented you from seeing God at work in your life?
Where in your life do you need to develop a sense of peace?

“Peace… It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

— Melissa Rolfsen

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.