We opened this Confirmation session with a video from One Time Blind titled, “little Things.” The actor wanted Jesus to “do something big,” like give him water or part the Red Sea. Throughout the video, random people popped in and gave stuff to the man – a bottle of water, money – little stuff. The actor who portrayed Jesus tried to make that point that these little things were acts of God, but the man couldn’t see that.
Our discussion was around all the ways that we encounter Jesus on a regular basis. Answers varied by person but what was evident is that we can meet Jesus throughout a typical day. The key is that we have to practice recognizing Him. When we feel a stroke of good luck, or a nudge to do something better or different, that very well may be the push of the Holy Spirit moving us in the direction that God desires for us. We might experience a “Jesus moment” in our lives – a time when Jesus clearly speaks to us and changes our life, causes a conversion. And if we do, that’s great. But, a life of faithful living involves smaller, more subtle “conversion moments.” These are times when we behave as Jesus would even when we are tempted to do otherwise.
As Christians, we are called to share Jesus with others. For some that may mean, opening the Bible and preaching about it, but for most of us, sharing Jesus means we use kind words, encourage those around us, and lend a hand when we can. Our foundation for behaving as Christians all the time is our prayer life. If we pray and reflect on what God desires for us, we learn to recognize it more easily and we are more prepared to act. In Confirmation, we will receive the strength of the Holy Spirit so that we can persevere in looking for Jesus everywhere and everyday for the rest of our lives in Christ.