So, here I am world. On this blog entitled "We have the best job ever", writing to you all for the first time from this avenue. And the first thing I'd like to say is: you're welcome...
That's right! You're welcome...
With this first post that is truly the 107th from the blog, I'd like to share with you an adventure, nay an excursion, better yet, a divine experience that I had from yesterday's preparation of GIFT our middle school youth group.
The purpose of the night was to talk to these 6th, 7th and 8th graders about how we were all created by God and for God. (It's in the Catechism. Check it out! CCC# 27 You've just been Catechized!) We are all created for and called to relationship with God. At every moment of our lives, from the very first moment of our existence, God has been calling us to a relationship with Him.
Of course, as we brainstorm how to make this theme relatable to our teens, the hit pop song "Call me, maybe" comes to mind. (I don't know if you've heard of it. It's by Carly Rae Jepsen. It is quite fun to dance to and sing along with. Many people have made their own videos to this song. Take for instance: Harvard baseball team, Olympic Woman's swim team...) Our theme for the night then takes on the title; "Call me, Maybe".
Then, LIGHTNING STRUCK! Sitting with Sara in our office, laughter ensued as the divinely inspired thought of creating our own "Call me, Maybe" video was epiphanized. We contacted our GIFTed Leaders (our high school helpers for GIFT), bought a Jesus beard and wig, and this is what happened:
As humorous as it is, there is a deeper theme. Certainly we can all laugh at the thought of Jesus dancing and singing with angels to the lyrical genius of Carly Rae, but even further is how our hearts may be touched by this message. Jesus is saying to all of us at every moment "Call me, Maybe". He longs to be in relationship with us! He wants us to call Him and talk to Him so that we may get to know Him and be known by Him. Yet, Jesus is God and God is love, and God's greatest act of love towards us His creation is the gift of free will. We are free to choose God's love and we are free to not choose God's love. We are free to call God and have a relationship with Him. But we are also free to not call Him.
This is the love of God in that He created us out of love and created us to know His love and be in His love in relationship with Him, yet He allows us to choose it. It is our choice. That is love. St. John even says in his first letter: "In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10) He loves us first. He calls us first. But He gives us the freedom, out of love, to call Him.
God wants us to call Him! At every moment of every day of our entire lives ever since we came into existence God is calling out to us, yearning, longing, desiring deeply to be in relationship with us! But, He loves us too much to force this upon us so He gives us the freedom to choose it.
God is always saying to us "Call me".
But He always leaves at the end "maybe".
Because it is our choice.
So call Him.
Maybe.
It's your choice.
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