Day 34: A Sign of Hope

I was happy to return to the chapel in the middle of the day today.  I think that part of my feeling scattered and frustrated this weekend had to do with being out of a routine.  It was a busy weekend with a family reunion, friends for dinner on Saturday, a soccer game, Cub Scouts, baseball practice and Ignatian Associates.  I am not complaining . . . those are the choices we make, but in the meantime it was difficult to find the quiet time I so desperately need to focus and pray when so much of the time I felt like, "Go, go go!"

While today was nothing spectacular, it was the kind of day I needed at this point.  I am ready for Lent to be over and the school day provides a rhythm that more or less keeps my mind from wandering too much.
So I was looking forward to some quiet prayer in the chapel at lunch time.

I entered prayer asking God to help open my eyes to the ordinary ways God is present in my life.  An emerging theme I have found throughout this Lent is an abiding sense of gratitude (perhaps that is what I was missing this weekend more than anything else) and that theme once again resurfaced today.

I teach seniors who are anxious for many things right now.  Of course, they are anxious to graduate in a few short weeks and to begin the next chapter of their lives.  But with this also comes the anxiety of the uncertainty of leaving familiar places and faces to venture out into the unknown.  And before that happens many are also anxious as they still await news of college acceptances and financial aid packages.  It is understandable why they are a bit stressed.

They had their senior retreat this past Friday and Saturday.  Today when I asked them how the retreat was, the responses were invariably, "Great!" "Awesome!" "We all bonded so much!  We needed this!"  I haven't seen that much energy and excitement out of them in months!  I enjoy the great blessing of teaching at a school where each person is valued.  No place is perfect, but this is a place where respect and concern for others always seems to win out in the end.  I have been very blessed to have taught these students when they were ninth graders and it has been a real gift to teach them again as seniors.  They are kind to one another, good natured, exceptionally bright and full of life.  I am inspired by them and they give me hope in the future. And for that I am grateful.