Out of the Bubble
I have enjoyed the college search and visit experiences with my kids. (Note: I did NOT say the moving away from home portion. That was covered in a previous Faith Friday.)
As daunting as the emotions are, and as huge as a transition it is for your child to go off to college, it is such a neat experience to see your child dream, ask questions, envision themselves somewhere (other than home!), and explore their passions.
We recently took our middle son to his college registration. A full day of presentations, information, getting his official student ID card, registering for classes, and acquiring the obligatory merch - in his case, a U of I hat.
This period of time means that our son is leaving his bubble. Sure, there are other ways to reference it, but Blaine will definitely be leaving a bubble of 13 years of Catholic education and supportive friends, teachers and peers. Gabe and I are also leaving our bubble, or way of everyday life, with another child moving out of the house.
Do you know who also left their bubble? The apostles. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, we read about the apostles huddling together in the upper room, after their world was turned upside-down. And then Jesus appears to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:21-22). It was in the Upper Room where tongues of fire appeared to them on Pentecost and “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4).
The apostles left the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit descended upon them, just as Jesus promised. They knew it was time to leave. They felt equipped, and they felt an urgency. They were sent.
I recently heard a reflection about what if the apostles didn’t have a sense of urgency to leave, to go out, spread the Good News, to be missionaries for Christ. Had they not felt this sense of urgency, had they not left their bubble, would the Church be where it is today?
Thank God the apostles did what they did and left the Upper Room, in urgency, and filled with the Holy Spirit. It reminds me to continue to ask for the gifts of the Holy Spirit when I have situations in life when I need to leave my bubble.
Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord
We all have some sort of bubble that prevents us from something or protects us or simply feels comfortable. Pray to receive the Holy Spirit as you venture out of whatever bubble you are experiencing. The Holy Spirit is the great encourager. “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit” 1 Corinthians 12:7.
As we celebrate Pentecost this weekend, may we all be reminded of the power of the gift that God the Father, through Jesus, left for us in the Holy Spirit. I’ll be praying every day for the Holy Spirit to help me out of my bubble, and especially on August 16 at move-in day.