One Thing to Offer

16-year-old Mikayla feeling pretty worthless

First of all, for those of you who are unaware, I am currently serving with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. At our parish of Saint John the Baptist, one of the deacons frequently shares stories in his homily regarding his ministry as a chaplain at the hospital. Today, he shared one about a man struggling with his outcome. Formerly a very active member within his family and community, he was no longer able to perform as before. As he described this man’s feelings of having nothing to contribute and not having a purpose, I had to hold onto my arms because they had started shaking. It was definitely hitting home and it pained me to hear about someone else suffering through it. I remember very clearly feeling worthless because I could not perform physically as I had before; remember feeling that I no longer had anything to offer.

But the truth is that there is only one thing any one of us has to offer: Jesus Christ. And, because Jesus is our very livelihood, this means we have our very selves to offer. Through sharing ourselves, we are sharing Christ. Through sharing Christ, we are providing people with their deepest needs. And all of us are called to do this in different ways, ways that may change as time goes on and we discern where the Lord is leading us. Our physical abilities and our emotional wounds are not meant to hinder our ability to share Him. No matter what state we are in, God has a plan for us and a way that He makes it possible.

obstacle or eye-opener?

For a long time I had been making my own plans regarding how I would contribute to the world. When the crash nearly took me out of this world, all of my plans were shattered. It seemed hopeless, like I actually had died. Seeming to no longer have a purpose, it seemed unnecessary that I was still around. I was stuck in a perpetual state of despair and confusion until someone led me to Jesus and He pulled me out of it. God used the absence of physical abilities to push me to reevaluate my purpose and discover the ways He was truly leading me. Even though things were not going as I had thought, I was fulfilled in Him. I desired to follow Him because I realized He had what I wanted. And He was using me to share Him with others so they could find what they wanted. And, after responding to these calls and remaining faithful to Him, my physical abilities were restored. He uses them as well, but in a different way than I had expected, in a much more powerful way than I ever could have hoped for.

And He wants to do the same for you! He has such an amazing plan for each one of us. How are we responding to Him? How is the Lord using you? Are you asking Him to lead you or making your own plans? Is there anything you feel is an obstacle to reaching out to others in a way that is authentically you? Offer it all up to Jesus and let Him lead you. Allow Him to heal your pains so that He may use you more fully. He desires your Happiness. Let Him give it to you.