Think about a person whose faith has brightened your day. What can you do to make your own faith more vibrant when you “pay it forward?”Every year my hometown parish, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, takes a group of kids on a mission trip. When I found out the group would be helping the Appalachian people of West Virginia, I knew right away I wanted to go. I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and share the gifts God has given me. Little did I know the difference they would make in my life.
I remember the day we pulled into the area we would be working on all week. It looked dilapidated: trash piled up, overgrown weeds, broken windows, and much more. It was nothing like I was used to in my neighborhood. At one house we met a man (who went by the name of Coach), and his wife. Coach’s wife asked us to paint the outside of their house fuchsia. It seemed like an odd color choice, but we did it without question.
Later that day, we noticed that the couple’s basement was baby blue; the living room, lime green; and the bathroom, sunshine yellow. Seeing we were shocked by all the “outrageous” colors, Coach’s wife told us God gave her the gift of colors and she loved them all. Her words opened my eyes. Despite the incredible poverty that she lived in, this woman still looked at the bright side of things and praised God for what she had. Then I noticed that whenever her neighbors walked by her house they would smile. Coach’s wife brought light and smiles to her town with her love of God’s colors. Coach’s wife’s faith was so strong she helped us volunteers and her neighbors believe God’s love was present.
I signed up for that week of service because I thought I would be helping people, but they ended up helping me. Coach’s wife and other townspeople taught me that God is always present in our lives if we choose to make him seen. So, regardless of whether I was painting, chopping down trees, building steps, or tearing off siding, God was there.
This experience made me want to continue doing service. I hope that just like Coach’s wife did for me, others will also come to know Christ through whatever I do. In a sense, you could say I want to “pay the faith forward.”
—Grace B.
Think about a person whose faith has brightened your day. What can you do to make your own faith more vibrant when you “pay it forward?”
Since God created the world, we are able to “see” God in all things. Some people experience God in art, or in nature, or in people watching. Today, take a walk and look at the world and its people around you. Pray for all you see.