As the Leader of our GS group, I continually battle with the idea of “building three tents” (Matthew 17:4). This comes about through fear of my own lacking abilities to hold up everything good, and failing to trust in the Lord. I think that I know that following Jesus is everything, but I still become static, stuck in my ways. It is only the incredible mercy of God that is capable of breaking me free. This undeniable mercy came about through a GS student Daw, and my 3-year-old daughter Elyse. There had been a couple youth game nights at the parish recently and many GS students had attended. When I heard they were having it again on Friday, I knew I was going to be there. When I heard they had glow sticks, I knew Elyse would love it as well.

We had a great time playing water balloon volleyball and Elyse played balloon “caddie” for all of us. There were many GS students there, but I was paired with a student that wasn’t in GS and I didn’t know her very well. I struggled, as I usually do, with an internal dialogue of how to speak to this student. It resulted in me saying almost nothing and grumbling at myself. Why can’t I break out of myself and just see a person in front of me with humility and compassion?!

After the volleyball game ended, a game of Frisbee broke out. Half a dozen of us watched, including Elyse. After a few minutes, Daw came over and sat about 20 feet away from us. It crossed my mind that maybe she was struggling to decide to sit next to us, but I didn’t see a way or have the courage to say, “Come sit over here.” After about 30 seconds, Elyse stands up, walks over to Daw, whom she didn’t know, and begins to talk to her. I had no idea what she was saying, and I was a little afraid for Daw, not knowing what Elyse might be saying. It became apparent that Elyse wanted Daw to go play with her on the slides. It took only a moment for the rest of the group to recognize that something incredible was occurring. We all recognized it was beyond our plan or our control. Something that seemed impossible for me, was done with ease by a 3-year-old. A child, still learning to tie her shoes, was moving and changing hearts in a moment! How is that possible? As if it weren’t enough for God to point me to a child so clearly, He provided a hundredfold more. Take the Fraternity Exercises text for the week at GS, where we ended with the words at the top of page 41, “It would be better if He were to make us children, it would make us understand at the age of fifty the taste of being children, of being children before their father and mother.” Then Fr John, sharing a Facebook post after seeing the picture of Daw and Elyse, added, “A little child will lead them. Isaiah 11:6”. And again, a couple days later I finally opened a book I had been meaning to read on St Maria Goretti, finding precisely Isaiah 11:6 on the first page!

Just as the disciples were in the midst of their own plans to “build three tents”, the Lord appears, and they tremble before His glory. I cannot reduce what I have seen with my own eyes; the glory of God in flesh! Through the dynamic of an encounter with a human person, not only was Elyse changed by meeting Daw, but incredibly it was Daw who was also changed. I am grateful she was willing to share her experience of this day as well.

All day I had a bad day until meeting Elyse (Lucas' daughter). That day we played water balloon volleyball and I asked all my friends to come. And we also planned to surprise Say Meh because it was her birthday, but she didn't come. When we met at the Church parking lot all my friends had something to do and I didn't. I walked for a bit. After that I felt so alone and I watch my friends play and Elyse came and sat by me and that is when I didn't feel lonely anymore. I ask her what her name was and she told me what her name is. She asked me to play with her and I said sure. We played at playground and she told me she will show me what she can do and we also play hide and seek and other games too. And after that we all went inside. Some people got what they needed and I had nothing to do. So I just stood there and doing nothing and she came and gave me a light. The light she gave me I put in front of the car. When I see the light it always remains me of her. She has lit up my life. She really made my day. On Sunday July 24 we had GS. Lucas shared the same story and today is also my first time sharing my story at GS.

Daw’s story is essential for me to recognize the depth of what Christ revealed. It is through her witness that I verify my own. I recognized that it could only be Christ at work, because it was unmistakable to everyone. One week later after GS, Daw said she was around many kids during the last week. She told me that after meeting Elyse last Friday, she saw those children differently. I have realized that only God can produce this newness in my heart and in those I see in front on me, today.