Rediscovering My Faith: This Little Light of Mine
Every pace has a place.
That’s exactly what the Alpha Youth Series, a program designed for those who’d like to discover and deepen their faith and forge new, meaningful friendships, demonstrated.
The group I was assigned to whom I lovingly refer to as my Alpha Family progressively became a safe space for me to think about thinking, grapple aloud, and tackle some of life’s simplest yet most profound existential questions. Each session would zip by, leaving each of us feeling more in commune with ourselves and one another along with a growing penchant for existential questioning and thoughtful discussion. Truly, what a great reintroduction to the faith! What I appreciate most about this gentle approach is the facilitation and elicitation of curiosity, deep interest, and compassion for ourselves and one another. Each session really served as an opportunity for us to carefully assess where we are in our faith journey. And with every discussion, I like that I am learning to be more concise and precise in my ability to express myself, given the time limit per question. The more that I attend, the more that I feel like I’m inching closer to my truth: how I want to live, love and lead. This is largely why I enjoy reconvening with and listening to my groupmates who come from different walks of life and various life stages. I find it so special that we come together on a weekly basis, ready to keep each other accountable, eager to evolve to such a wonderful, high road place.
To wrap this up with a cherry on top, here are my 11 key takeaways:
1) “Shame dies when stories are told in safe places.”
2) Be present and experience as much of life as possible, live the heck out of each moment, and you’ll find that the right words will just flow to you.
3) The world is full of immense beauty, patiently waiting to be noticed. Stop, look, listen, and maybe even write.
4) Each and every step is a breakthrough. Your best is more than enough and your best can look different each day.
5) Trust that little things amount to and make big things happen.
6) Forgiveness is arguably the highest form of love. It’s a miracle and gift to be able to forgive and be forgiven. Forgiveness is a choice really, and a lot of the time, it’s so difficult to extend it and even receive it! What makes it possible is God’s love, grace and compassion as well as your individual capacity to see beyond the mistake by taking into account the history and context behind it and the heart of the person “at fault.” Although easier said than done, I do believe that there are nuances and subtleties to consider. Time and time again, I’m being reminded that nothing is impossible with God’s healing presence and touch. And what forgiveness really is is an intentional release from whoever or whatever is holding you back, so you can experience peace once ready. It can also be viewed as giving yourself and the other person involved another chance at life, to begin anew, start again, and right what’s wrong. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean toleration and reconciliation. Maybe the extent of forgiveness is learning from the past, charging the mistake to experience, and striving to be and do better next time, now that you know better.
7) A friend of mine once told me: “Power brings out more of whatever and whoever you are at your core.” And what supercharges that innate power is faith.
8) Your ‘no’ is as valuable as your ‘yes’. And ‘no’ is not always a form of rejection. It can mean ‘not now, not yet, coming soon, something better, someone better’. In other words, ‘no’ can signify a shift in direction or delay.
9) “An act of love is a form of prayer,” the facilitator of my group wisely imparted last week.
10) The other day, another sage-like friend of mine unveiled: “God moves at the speed of love.”
11) Last but not the least, I realized that I shouldn’t downplay my perspective and insight - it doesn’t matter if I’m younger. I too have wisdom to contribute. As my current favorite inner child song suggests, I hope you remember to take the light within you around the world and not let anyone ever dim it: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. I won’t let anyone [blow] it out, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Every day, every day, I’m going to let my little light shine.”
Pictured above is my alpha group whom I’m so grateful for! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them for being candidates for unity and for allowing me to be myself, as is where is. Knowing the enormous power of vulnerability in storytelling reaffirms my desire to hold space for others and share the power of telling stories for the rest of my life.