Take time to disconnect for a few minutes like they did in the camp. Allow the peace of Christ to fill you. This is a moment for Christ and you.A typical hot and humid June day greeted me the morning I left for a service work camp. The only reason I went was because my friend’s father had called my dad and asked if I could accompany his daughter at service work camp. The two of them thought it was a good idea. I wasn’t so sure I did.
There were a lot of unknowns. The only thing I really knew was that I would be spending a week helping the needy make their homes more suitable. This was as far as my knowledge went; the rest was truly new territory. Leaving my family to go to the Arlington Diocese service work camp for a week with absolutely no modern communications technology made me even more wary. I didn’t leave for my grand adventure alone; joining me was an old friend: nervous anxiety.
Every morning of service work camp began with Mass, and each day ended in prayer. This gave us a constant reminder that God’s will was our ultimate goal. That affected how we experienced our daily duties at the work sites. Lunch conversations often centered on the effectiveness of God’s great hand in our own lives, and the difficulties and joys of being a young, active Catholic in a world that doesn’t often promote or support a culture of faith.
We worked hard, but we also had a lot of fun. Water bottle fights, using funny accents while speaking, songs echoing in the small room when painting, piggy back rides, and pranks among the work groups—laughter and diligence went together. The fun also helped to combat homesickness and made the week go by at top speed. In the process all my anxieties disappeared and I was able to really enjoy myself. At service work camp I learned that by doing God’s will I can be truly satisfied. God is good.
—Julia Marie
Take time to disconnect for a few minutes like they did in the camp. Allow the peace of Christ to fill you. This is a moment for Christ and you.
We all have to do things we don’t like doing. Sometimes just showing up is part of the battle. But if we trust in God, he will help us get through the job. Ask God to help you feel satisfied doing something you dread. Offer the task to God as a sacrifice for someone else.