Giving Thanks

Last month, I attended CWG’s Your Word is My Delight: A Catholic Writers’ Retreat in Dewitt, Michigan. As is so often the case, it took me a few days post-retreat to recognize the gifts poured out by the Holy Spirit through the event.

Opportunities to pray abounded. Daily Rosary, daily Mass, Adoration most evenings…and those were just the formally scheduled times. Reflection in the privacy of one’s room or walking the beautiful grounds offered occasions for informal prayer. Several of us shared that the main focus of our attendance was discernment regarding our calling and future direction. No matter the answer(s) each individual heard, the time spent in the company of God brought peace.

The intimacy of the gathering allowed us to get to know each other in ways that are not possible through conferences. For me, recognizing the holiness in each person’s vocation, whether religious or as laity, was a true gift. Faith, fidelity, devotion, patience, joy—these attributes were modeled by various people throughout the five days. Our small community built each other up, just as Paul instructs us to do in the Epistles. Not limited to retreats, a mindset willing to see these things in our ordinary lives can open our eyes to God’s hand in the day-to-day.

Networking, both professional and personal, was another gift. Blogs were born, ideas (writing and non-writing related) shared, horizons broadened, new directions and new projects envisioned, contacts swapped. I’d had an idea for a book-length nonfiction project, and, thanks to a presenter, realized I could create it in any number of formats, from brochure to booklet to book. Others took a step into fiction from their background of nonfiction, etc. Sometimes it takes another’s perspective to see possibilities we never imagined. As a bonus, we left the retreat with a strong network of writers in vastly different geographic areas and personal/professional circles of influence. Now, when one of us tosses the proverbial pebble into a pond, the ripple effects will go into coves we never could have predicted.

The subject of New Evangelization came up numerous times in unrelated contexts. New Evangelization is reaching out in love and catechesis to those Catholics who’ve drifted away from the Church, or who’ve made a conscious decision to leave the Church, or don’t have a solid understanding of its teachings—namely, a lively relationship with and fruitful gratitude to Jesus, our Savior. I certainly came away with a better understanding of the scope of the issue, along with a renewed sense of purpose as a writer and evangelizer.

As Michelle Buckman, the keynote presenter, said, God is in the details. He brought each of us to Dewitt, Michigan for a purpose—actually, several purposes. From personal to spiritual to the craft of writing to the purpose of our calling to networking, the Holy Spirit was hard at work at the St. Francis Retreat Center.

Look back at your most recent experience with a conference or a retreat, or maybe in a CWG forum or the new Google group or Facebook group page. Take a moment to recognize the Holy Spirit’s influence, and give thanks. It is far too easy to take these things for granted, or downplay them. Next time you have the opportunity to participate in a writing community, pay attention to what God is showing you. If you’re like me, it won’t be anything like you expected, and may not even be writing-related. It may be difficult to recognize or discern while in the moment, but at some point you will recognize the truth of why you were in that place, at that time, with those people.

God’s hand, open hearts—a combination that bears great fruit, whether on retreat or slogging through our daily lives. Together, they yield blessings, grace, and much cause for gratitude.

Thanksgiving is two days away. What are you offering thanks for this year? Do you have any examples of blessings or gifts related to writing you’d like to share? Let’s encourage each other in our vocation as writers.