"Thank you" goes a long way

What an eventful 2005 this has been so far. January has been crazy, but a good kind of crazy...

Half of my major events for work have already passed. KAIROS reunion was small but from it we were able to pull our speakers and student leaders for the Sophomore retreat. I was very impressed with the guys and how they were willing to talk about the growth they saw in themselves since their Senior retreat in November.

The Jesuit Sponsorship meeting up north was GREAT for a lot of reasons. I was inspired...had the chance to network with the experts...got closer to my coworkers...prayed...enjoyed a beautiful view. And I now know how much more important my job is in the larger scheme of things. We have such a unique identity at Verbum Dei, but acknowledging the similarities and differences between us and the other high schools just confirmed that God put me - along with the others who came along - in the right place.

I missed my students so much while I was gone that when I came back to all their goofiness, I couldn't help but laugh and smile at who they were being for me. I really am growing to love my boys, just as I did with my 6th graders at St. Paul. Each life is so precious...so full of potential...that you can't help but appreciate them.

Sophomore Retreat went well today, thanks be to God. We had our "moments" but patience abounded, and I think that was most crucial to the flow of the day. It always blows me away at how open our guys can be. They really share life experiences and feelings that they struggle with - it's awesome. Now that I'm taking a step back and looking at the big picture, it was a pretty positive experience. For every student who had a good time, I thanked God because I know it was Him who answered my prayers for souls to be touched, even just a little bit.

Justine struck a chord with me today...a very spiritually deep thinker, that one is. He was actually the only one who didn't really know me because I don't teach him. Funny that he ended up with us because of an interesting encounter we had in August during student orientation. It was nice catching up with Tim in the Taco Bar line. Jason and James gave their 110% with all that they offered to the participants. Brett, Claudell, and Marlon really took the talks seriously and put a lot of thought into what they were bringing to our group. Charles, Ethan, Miguel, and the Kelly twins went out of their way to say thank you. Jesus and Aldo came to visit after school. It was - as Gary always says - a very blessed day.

So, yes, grace was flowing. I just had to open my eyes a bit wider to see it there.

And there is more...I just don't know how to talk about it, so I will imitate Mary as she pondered the gifts of God in her own heart.

"Now more than ever I understand that the trivial events of our life are ordained by God. I feel this very precisely: everything comes from Him." - St. Therese