We have all been blessed with giants in our lives: those great people of influence who have impacted our lives in such a way that we stand upon their shoulders because the impression they have made in our lives is so significant and life-changing. It is often these giants who have revealed something to us about ourselves or about God. It is often these people who help us see our true, authentic selves. They not only encourage us, but they also challenge us to be who we are called to be. I know I am forever changed and impacted by the giants upon whose shoulders I stand.
As I watched the 44 high school students this weekend at the Confirmation Retreat, I was struck by their sense of the Sacred in their lives and also by their hunger for the Sacred in their lives. These young people revered and honored the presence of God in their lives. They inspired me! At the same time, I was reminded that these students need and want giants in their lives. They need people to help them work through the questions they pose, the nudges and stirrings they feel, and they need people to help them articulate what it is that they intuitively know about God in their lives.
I was also struck by how easily these young people became people of influence for my children. My kids, especially Brady, were enamored by them. He looked up to them immediately, and he was following them around copying everything they did. These young people could be giants for my son and daughter. Brady and Abby will need the giants in their lives just like I do.
People have invested time, energy, and love in me. The high school students need people to invest time, energy, and love in them. My young children need people to invest time, energy and love in them.
Who are the giants in your life? What impact have they had on your life?
Who are you called to be a giant to? Who are you called to invest time, energy, and love in?
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.
0 Comments