I have been blessed with many wonderful experiences in my life, but never have I felt more alive and fulfilled than when I am serving others. I was going to church every Sunday and was actively involved in the church, but I thought, "What good is God's word if I don't live it?" As I prepare to live simply, in a mud hut with none of the privileges that we as Americans have become accustomed to (water, electricity, nutritious meals 3 times a day, clean water, etc.) I know that my faith will be challenged like never before.
Yet I remember what the Bible says: "that you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me." I see God in the eyes of the people I serve, and from those people, I have learned some of life's most important lessons--humility, gratitude, patience and perseverance in times of difficulty. Their faith and resilience is incredible, it puts me to shame. I have found that it is only when you spend time among those on the margins of our society that you realize the saying is true: When God is all you have, you know God is all you need. I am looking forward to simplifying my life, taking away all of the "noise", all of those things that distract me from living fully in God's word in my everyday life, and focusing on what is really important.
Natalie Committee is a former member of St. John's and WVU alumnae: BA in Public Relations '09, MBA '10. She is volunteering with ChildVoice International in Uganda, working to empower at-risk women and children with education, business skills and micro financing so they can support themselves and do not become targets for sex traffickers.
You can follow Natalie's blog at: http://thebusinessofgiving.wordpress.com
Question of the Week:
Our society tells us that we have to be successful, and we need to promote ourselves so everyone will know how awesome we are. Today’s Gospel and Natalie’s reflection talk about humbling ourselves and relying on God. How do you reconcile this apparent contradiction?
More Food for Thought:
James 2:14-18
Catholic Relief Services Campus Connection
crscollege.org
Like a Drop in the Ocean: 99 sayings by Mother Teresa W. Bader, Editor
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