New Paths

For this week’s blog, I decided to reflect upon a quote by Henri Nouwen in honor of the upcoming Metanoia Retreat St. Monica-St. George is putting on for students. Which, by the way, you should all sign up for because it’s going to be AWESOME! There’s a link to the registration form on the facebook event page; if you’re not invited on facebook, comment here and we’ll invite you or send you the information. But seriously, it’s going to be a great, refreshing weekend. Anyways, the quote I chose is this: “…every time there are losses there are choices to be made. You choose to live your losses as passages to anger, blame, hatred, depression and resentment, or you choose to let these losses be passages to something new, something wider, and deeper.” –Henri Nouwen

This quote is about letting go of anger, bitterness, and hurt. I know I’ve talked about it before, but it’s something that I still struggle with and this quote really spoke to me. You can’t hold on to those negative emotions. I know it’s so much easier said than done, but if you want to grow as a person and grow in your faith, you have to let them go. God doesn’t want us to hurt; He doesn’t want those emotions to control our lives. If we let Him take control, He will help us through it. He can’t prevent bad things from happening, but He is constantly there to help us through them. If we hand over to Him all of our worries, hurt, and anger, He will replace them with peace, hope, and love, and show us where to go. He helps us pick up the pieces and either continue on our way or take a different path.

That brings me back to the quote above. It shows that bad times and hurtful experiences can be transformed into something great. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and every experience shapes us into the person we were meant to become. If you dwell on the negatives, you get stuck on your path and it’s difficult to move forward and grow as a person and in your faith. Letting go and walking away from our bitterness and sadness allows us to see the other paths and adventures we can embark upon. Maybe we needed that negative experience so God could open our eyes to something better, or maybe we needed that to teach us an important life lesson. Remember that God is guiding our path, and if we open up and let go of negativity, He will always be there to direct our steps and carry us if we fall.

God bless,

Kathe 

P.S.-I kind of stole Mel's day, so don't forget to read her great post right below mine!