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i am a spoiled brat

St. Paul Catholic Campus Parish - Big Rapids, MI
Earlier today, I was reflecting. I know, crazy right? But during my quiet time sitting in my backyard, drinking lemon water, a lot went through my head. I’m not much of a writer, nor do I really enjoy it for that matter. But for some reason, I felt called to write my thoughts down in a blog post. So, here goes nothing!
I was thinking back to my four years at Ladywood, a Catholic, all-girls high school. Since finishing my first year of college, I’ve probably done more thinking about high school than while I was actually there. Now, getting to the point of this whole thing. We had a chapel in my high school, with a tabernacle. I was privileged enough to attend a school that literally had Jesus living in it, for four years of my life. I walked past Jesus in the hall every day. And you know how many times I stopped in that chapel to visit Him? Once. Only one time in my entire high school career (minus a couple of times when we had Adoration) did I stop to give a tiny portion of my day to the one who gave His entire life for me. That one time was my senior year and lasted probably about ten minutes before I got scared and left because I heard someone coming. The phrase that comes to mind looking back on this is, “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone”. Now that I’ve finished my first year of school where I’m not surrounded by like-minded, Jesus-loving, people, I’ve really started to appreciate my Catholic education. I got to go to Theology class every other day and learn about something that I gradually grew to love, I went to Mass with my classmates, I saw an awesome religious sister every day, and like I said, there was a chapel IN my school. All of these things and more, I really took for granted and didn’t begin to appreciate until they started to slip away. I really was spoiled with how much I was surrounded by Jesus, and I took it for granted like an ungrateful child.
Fast forward to my first year at Ferris State. I grew A LOT in my faith this year through the help of some fantastic friends and priests (a story for a different day). I started going to Mass a few times a week, along with weekly bible study and Adoration, plus some volunteering here and there. My church, St. Paul’s is just a couple of steps off campus, and about a fifteen minute walk from my dorm. The doors are open 7 am to 9 pm. I have such easy access to be in the physical presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. He sits there every day, waiting to embrace me. Yet, I still don’t find the time to give a little bit of my day just to keep Him company. There are so many people, who are more deserving than I, who don’t have this privilege. So, why is it that I take it for granted? Because I am a spoiled brat and don’t know what I have until it’s gone. Fortunately, I was able to recognize this at the end of my freshman year of college, instead of after graduation.
So, I pose a question to you, my reader: Where in your life do you have the privilege of seeing Jesus? It doesn’t have to be in the tabernacle, it could be in the beauty of nature or the people in your life. Where have you been a spoiled brat? Recognize these blessed areas of your life and take some time every day to appreciate them. Remember, you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

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