Chris and I had the joy of taking Abby and Brady to their very first LSU football game on Saturday night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.  While it was not the full Death Valley experience, they did get a taste of the energy that LSU fans always carry with them even when on the road.  There is no doubt in my mind that I am and always will be a Louisianian!  It is in my blood, and I hope that it always remains strong despite the fact that we no longer live there.

Hospitality, friendliness, and warmth are key characteristics of people from Louisiana.  I was strongly reminded of this on Saturday night as I sat next to a woman from Lafayette.  She and I had never met, but within two minutes of sitting next to each other we were talking like we had known each other for years.  The warmth she embodied was so endearing that Abby willing let her hold her.  By the end of the game, Brady was sitting in her lap and her husband’s laps laughing and talking to them.  They shared their binoculars, their popcorn, and their pom-poms with my kids.

Sitting next to them made me miss the warmth and joie de vivre of Louisiana people!  It also reminded me of the importance of two key things in our faith lives:  community and celebration of the present moment.  We all need places where we belong, where we feel we are part of something larger than ourselves.  While this happens at church, we have experiences like this in family gatherings, parties, organizations with causes we support, work, and yes…even at football games!   It is within these communities that we celebrate the joy of the present moment with others around us.  These moments fill us with laughter, energy, and hope! 

What communities do you feel like you belong too? 
How do these communities help you feel like you are part of something larger than yourself?
Why do we need to be mindful of the joy of the present moment? 
How do others help us embrace the present moment?

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.