Christ to Me. Christ in Me.

Way back in 1999, I attended my first of what turned out to be many Watch Retreat Weekends. I can’t say enough good things about the Watch Retreat program. If you ever have the chance to attend, please do. Perhaps you attended last Saturday’s Fanning the Flame event at Saint Mary’s? If so, you have had a small taste of what can happen at the longer weekend retreat. Hopefully it served to whet your appetite for more.

The really wonderful and lasting thing that grew from my first Watch retreat was the formation of a weekly prayer group. Over the years, as people changed jobs or moved away (or drifted away), the number of attendees ebbed and flowed until there were four of us. To this day we are very much connected and grateful for each other’s prayers and friendship, even though we do not meet on a regular basis.

Those weekly meetings were loosely structured with no leader appointed. Instead, we each attempted to answer two questions at every prayer gathering:

Who was Christ to you this week?

How/when were you Christ to someone else this week?

Everyone in the group could fairly quickly come up with an example of how another person had been Christ to them recently. However, we all seemed to struggle with identifying in what way we had been Christ to someone else. I think we secretly hoped whoever went first would say something to jog our memories for an example! I finally figured out that when I identified how someone was Christ to me, I would examine my week and often find how I had done something similar for another.

I also learned to jot down examples as they occurred so I would be sure to have something to share. Many people I know keep a “Gratitude Journal” and list 5 things everyday they are grateful for. Maybe I should start my own “Christ to Me. Christ in Me” journal, listing specific occasions when others were Christ to me and those times when I was Christ to others.

What a great reminder that we should recognize and search out opportunities where we can be Christ to others each and every day. Sometimes it is easy. We don't even consciously think about it. We just are. Other times we purposely resist it. Lord, you are asking too much of me. I have nothing left to give!

And—surprise—it may be that we are Christ to others when we gratefully accept them as Christ to us!

Let's remember to celebrate and thank God for those times when we are actively and beautifully living the call to be Christ’s voice, heart, hands and his feet for others.

I challenge us all to be ever more aware of how others are Christ to us. Thank God for these people at the end of the day. And let’s practice walking in their footsteps.

Dear Lord, help me recognize opportunities where I can be Christ to others today and may I gratefully be aware of others being Christ to me.