Resting in God’s Love

I think I can speak for all of us in the House of Brigid that the past month has been a whirlwind! In the blink of an eye so much has happened! One month ago, we were at Notre Dame preparing for our arrival in Ireland. And now here we are in each of our respective communities, settling into life in Ireland!

Teach Bhríde Dublin before boarding the plane to Ireland!

For me, it’s bizarre to think about all the transitions I’ve been through the past month. Nothing could have prepared me for the rollercoaster of emotions I’ve felt these past few weeks as I packed up my life on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, took a early flight from Baltimore to South Bend, met the people I’m living and working with all year, flew from Chicago to Dublin, spent a few days in the beautiful mountains of Connemara, dropped off my things in Dublin and met more new people, spent a few relaxing days by the Irish Sea, and then jetted off to Lourdes for a spectacular pilgrimage! It’s been an amazing few weeks but also a time of unfamiliarity as I’m experiencing all these new places and people.

Lovely sunset on our last evening in Lourdes

To be honest, it’s been a bit of a struggle for me to be comfortable with all this newness and unfamiliarity. After spending four years at the University of Maryland and being quite comfortable there, it’s a bit of a shock to suddenly dive into an entirely new group of people and an entirely new country and culture! It’s been good for me though. After being so comfortable and happy in college, I knew it was time to expand my horizons and get out of my comfort zone a bit. That’s how people grow and learn. This past month has definitely provided me with some learning curves and opportunities for stepping out of my comfort zone.

I’ve had to learn to not be so hard on myself when I accidentally called somebody the wrong name or that time I completely forgot what to do while I was altar serving or when I turned my white clothes pink in the washing machine. All these occurrences have helped me find humility and God’s love during my time away from home. Some wonderful advice I received was to stop being so hard on myself and instead to rest in God’s love. Time and time again, I’ve had to remind myself that God is holding me in the palm of His hand. I’m going to make mistakes and there is going to be a learning curve but that’s okay! God brought me to Dublin for a reason and He’s going to be beside me every step of the way. I think I’m learning a lesson that is essential for anybody, regardless of what country you’re living in or where you are in your life. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone is an inescapable part of life. It can be both terrifying and exciting simultaneously! What matters is that we rest in God’s love and trust that He’s with us on our journey.

Hiking in the mountains of Connemara! (This shirt later turned pink during my first run of the washer… Oops!)

“We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
1 John 4:16

Slán,
Biz