The Bible tells us to not despise the day of “small beginnings.” In other words, don’t waste the beginning of your journey by being discontented or impatient with how far you have yet to go.

Contentment is the ability to enjoy where you are while you are on the way to fulfilment of your dreams. Don’t wait until you reach your destination to enjoy life. Life is more about the journey than the destination, and even when we reach one destination, we usually begin a journey toward another. It is a tragedy to never enjoy our journeys in life. Each phase of the journey has something in it of value, and I encourage you not to miss any of it.

Power Thoughts Devotional, by Joyce Meyer

The above resonated with me, for when I was discerning/pre-candidacy stage I was impatient. I just wanted to get going, why did I have to wait? A friend told me, that I should enjoy each stage I was in, as I’d never get them back and on reading the above it helps me to understand that each stage/passage of my journey of becoming a religious sister will be different. They might have their challenges and rewards but for myself to be present and attentive to what is being presented to me.

Since being in Handsworth, I’m working in ministries I never thought I would. I’m meeting people from different backgrounds, I’m hearing their stories and I hope I am growing as an individual as each of them touches on my life and I know I am helping them too as they begin to trust me more and more.

One scenario that has stuck with me was when I attended an informal English class at “The Sanctuary” (for refugees and asylum seekers). A question was asked “has anyone swam in something that wasn’t a swimming pool?” I said I’d swam in the ocean as I used to when I was training for triathlons. The teacher asked, who else swam in the ocean? One of the students said he had when he was escaping from his homeland. This affected me, as I had been swimming for pleasure (even though I was scared of the ocean swim, it was still for pleasure), whereas his had been for survival.

We are all on a journey, some of us are further through than others, some of us will have lots of journeys and for some the destination will change. For me my destination changed last year (2015), as I began my religious life journey. A journey I know will have lots of phases, lots of destinations, but I am going to stay PRESENT in each phase, enjoy the journey and not be in a hurry, please God.

The simplest and most practical lesson I know …

• Is to resolve to be good today, but better tomorrow. Let us take one day only in hand, at a time, merely making a resolve for tomorrow. Thus we may hope to get on, taking short, careful steps, not great strides.

Letter from Catherine McAuley to Sister de Sales White February 28, 1841

As we begin a new year, I ask you:

• What journey are you on?
• What changes/obstacles will you have to overcome?
• Can you make a difference in 2017?
• Are you PRESENT?