In the Quiet, You are there...

"Listen ... with the ear of your heart."

Rule of St. Benedict Prologue

            I attended “Come to the Quiet” retreat at the Episcopal House of Prayer last Friday with fellow Theology students and Faculty.  I just wanted to share a little bit about my experiences of this evening.  It was so needed! I have been working my butt off this semester by taking 4 upper division theology courses and an upper division German history course (A lot of reading and writing!).  God has really allowed me to stay somewhat sane through all of this! Anyways, this retreat was so beneficial and allowed students and faculty to come together in prayer, reflection, and fellowship.  What a wonderful relationship we as students have with our awesome faculty!

            What I want to share with you all is the reassurance and love God gives to all of us.  As I have been on my faith and educational journey, I often feel like the rebel child in my family and church family.  I love my Evangelical background and it has really embedded value and worth of my faith in Christ, but I cannot help but feel that I have, in some way, stepped outsides of their “ideal” plan for every Christian child.  I’ve always felt that if I did not go to an Evangelical college and marry the “perfect” evangelical husband, that I am not in God’s plan.  Now, I’m probably just exaggerating some of my family and church’s uneasiness and dissatisfaction, but I cannot embellish the feelings I have when I encounter this.  I get the feeling that since I chose to attend a Catholic college and married a Christian man who does not necessarily consider himself Evangelical, that I must not be doing anything God-glorifying.  This is often the kind of recognition I feel that I get from some of my family and church.  Well, Friday evening at “Come to the Quiet” retreat, God gave me reassurance that I am on the right path … 

            When we were praying through a scriptural passage, Sister M. would read a part of the passage, be silent, and then ask a question to guide us in reflection.  During this she asked, “What would you like to tell God?”  At this point of the reflection, I was enjoying the peacefulness of this style of prayerful mediation, but then the next question is what stirred my spirit.  Sister M. then asked, “What would God like to tell you?”  I have never thought of it in this way before.  I have always concerned myself with what others thought of me and of course I always considered the will of God, but I had never thought to ask God what He wanted to tell me.  At that moment when I asked God this question, I was overcome by God’s Spirit and this overwhelming sense that God was so proud of me … I cannot even come close to accurately describing this in my limited human expression.  I was reassured that I am not a disappointment in God’s eyes and that I am where I need to be and doing what I need to do, and that God is glorified by my life and my hunger to know and understand Him better.  It was as if God had spoken directly to my heart.  What an amazing thing it is to be able to have such a wonderful and powerful relationship with our God. 

             At the end of the evening, I was (and still am) so thankful for the people God has brought into my life.  I am blessed by the community I find in my fellow theology students and the theology faculty.  No matter the denomination, I consider you my sisters and brothers in Christ and I value your unique walk with God.  Thank you for your support and encouragement.  To my family and Church family, I hope you do not find any offense in what I shared about feeling like a disappointment to you.  I love you all dearly and hope that you can see the Jesus in me and how He is continually shaping and working in my life.  I know God has big plans for my life and I am so thrilled!  Thanks to everyone who reads my blog.  I know I just started it but it is a wonderful way for me to share my life and my journey with all those I care about.  May God always be your Assurance and Salvation. Peace and Blessings,

                       -Pip Q.

Ubuntu –

"I am what I am because of who we all are."

UPDATE:

            My initial Thesis presentation to the Department of Theology went really well! I had good feedback and support from the faculty.  I also felt God’s hand in it the whole way, which was the greatest encouragement of them all!  I was able to share my research with passion and vigor.  If not noticed from the previous post, the title of my Thesis is “I Will Not Be Silent” – that was totally a Divine inspiration because I had no idea what to call me thesis and then it just plopped in my lap! Also, my fellow classmates had wonderful presentations as well. Praise be to God!

**Link to a virtual tour of Episcopal House of Prayer**

E. House of Prayer