Over the past several days, the above phrase and variants of it began to pop up like wildfire on the Facebook pages of Rowan Catholics.
Just tonight, one of my younger friends who frequently finds herself overwhelmed by engineering homework wrote this: "I'm not going to worry, because God has everything under control."
And as we pass each other on the way to class or crossing 322, we share wide grins. Suddenly, life isn't as crazy as we thought it was.
For me, it seems like myself and the others that attended the CCM retreat this weekend are sharing in a collective sigh of relief. This week, we go about our business in the present moment; for some, the future has been put out of mind for the very first time. And you can see tangible evidence of that if you ask how our weekend was.
This was the first retreat I've been on with a concrete theme, and "pray instead of worry" speaks directly to so many of us who are looking toward the future and biting our fingernails. Through various talks led by our chaplain, periods of silent and group reflection, and worship, we got the opportunity to not only face our fears, but learn that God has overcome them.
"Who among you by worrying can add an instant to your life?" Out of all of the Scripture passages about anxiousness and trust we studied, this one question from Jesus in Matthew's Gospel struck me the most. It would follow me for the next three days, until my "quiet hour" on Saturday afternoon.
It was then that I finally dared to pray aloud about all the worries that I internalize so often. And as I did, I came to realize that I have no need to worry. God, after all, is in charge. I'm in good hands, and if I trust Him, I'll be taken care of.
Each one of us reached this point in different ways, but the end result was striking. There were a lot of tears on Saturday as a lot of people let go of their burdens and gave them to God, but on Sunday, everyone was smiling.
It's witnessing changes like these in myself and my friends that always makes the retreat experience worthwhile.
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Thanks for your interest in my blog! Please remember when commenting that this is an academic assignment, and while I will gladly answer any questions about Catholicism, I will only be able to respond regarding my own personal faith to a certain extent. If you would like to engage me about *my* faith, feel free to contact me privately. Peace! :)