This amazing journey that I find myself on did not start when I stepped off the plane in Dublin. The journey actually started months and months before I arrived. The very act of getting on that Continental Airlines plane a few days after Thanksgiving 2011 deserves a chapter or two...
Whenever I meet someone new, after they get over the surprise of me being an American, I am always posed the question, "How did you end up here?" Its not an unreasonable question...how did an American end up working at a small Passionist retreat centre in the north of Ireland? My typical response would revolved around how I graduated with my theology degree from Boston College and how Fr. John, the rector of the centre, is a Boston College Alum. Being Irish he obviously became friends with Prof. Tom Groome, who is both Irish and one of the esteemed Profs at the School of Theology and Ministry (STM). Through their relationship, I found out about the position and couldn't turn down the opportunity.
All of this is true, but it only represents a excerpt of the story. The events that brought me to Ireland actually began months before I even considered submitting my resume and cover letter to Fr. John. When I began studying theology I wanted to be a high school theology teacher. I had some amazing theology teachers, and they inspired me to follow in their footsteps. It wasn't until my senior year in college that I decided I wanted to continue my studies in grad school. During my second year at BC I realized that I still had a desire for teaching as well as a desire to participate in a long term service program. I discovered the ACE program at Notre Dame and that was it. My heart was set on being an ACE teacher, and I was the PERFECT candidate for the program. Good grades, sound spirituality, desire for service, I've already demonstrated the ability for grad work, and, thanks to the lovely residents of 108 Enta, I was already living in an intentional community...who wouldn't pick me? Well, Notre Dame wouldn't and didn't. I had an interview, but as I continually hit the refresh button on my gmail account that gray April afternoon, the bad news came.
I was devastated. As I curled up and cried myself to sleep, I thought the world was going to end. But lo and behold, the earth continued to spin and life moved forward. Once I recovered from the shock, I vaguely remembered reading about a volunteer opportunity in Northern Ireland. I pulled up an old STM newletter and found the posting. The job description resonated with me and my academic interests of ecumenism, reconciliation, and eccelesiology, and it would be a great way to get some experience in ministry.
I emailed Jackie, the STM's Dean of Students, to see if the position was still available. As it turned out, they were still accepting applications until the end of the week. After a brief meeting with Prof. Groome, I through my cover letter and resume into the hat. And a month later, I was offered the position and accepted it!
As I sit on my couch, thinking back on the whole process, the colloquialism "When God closes a door, he opens a window" comes to mind. The truth is, if I was offered a position in the ACE program, I would have never even considered coming to Tobar Mhuire.
It is experiences like this that I try to remember often. They remind me of the importance of trusting God. I believe that God has a path for me. A path that I am continually discovering and delighting in. But, its the discovering part that I struggle with. Transitions are scary, and they are particularly scary when you come across bumps in the road. It is at these "bumpy" moments that we are faced with a choice. Se can either throw ourselves a pity party and get sucked into the lie that "my life is over," or we can take a deep breath and trust a bit more in our loving Creator. This isn't' to say that we shouldn't get upset or be sad when disappointment comes our way. There is a time to be sad, and then there is a time for searching out the new experiences that are waiting to for us.
So, what the lesson from this story? Sometimes the biggest heartbreaks end up providing you with the biggest opportunities.
