I think the human person’s ability to find joy and levity even in the worst possible moments is one of the best gifts God offers us.
I think the human person’s ability to stand up and keep moving even when they think they may just stay laying down after a fall is the most beautiful expression of God’s grace moving within us.
Yesterday, I was talking with students about Ignatius’ two standards. This is a mediation found in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. In it, Ignatius asks the retreatant to consider under which banner they are currently planting their flag – the banner of Christ or the banner of the world.
There are many things that signify one has moved to plant their flag under each … but the one that stuck out to me in our conversation was this:
When we are with Christ, truly with Christ, we know we can’t do anything alone.
He is the one that brings us levity and joy when it feels like none is possible.
He is the one that lifts us up off the floor when we feel we can’t do it ourselves.
He is the one that brings forth in us a welling of both gratitude and hope.
Maybe you’ll read this today and say: “But no, Gretchen… that was my friend who made me laugh on the worst day or that was my mom who came and helped me up off the floor and gave me hope.”
Yes, of course it was.
After all, as St Teresa of Avila writes: “Christ has no body now but ours.”
So maybe today we can let some worrying go and walk out into the world knowing Christ is everywhere just waiting to envelope us with grace and so much love….
Maybe even as we rest in the tension of figuring out this crazy life, we can rest assured of at least one thing …
Even when we choose something else, Christ always chooses us.
