Can I get a Witness?

Following the CRHP (Christ Renews His Parish) Retreat that I went on a few weeks ago, the attendees were asked if interested in moving forward to plan the next weekend retreat for the next group of "chosen" women. This process is called formation.

The procedure is to meet with the group a couple of times a month to get to know each other better and make a decision as to what part you wished to play in the weekend. The roles available are coordinators of various aspects of the program, table leaders for the weekend's events and of course, witnessers, those people who get up and tell their stories and explain through different topics, how they've been touched by God, religion or simply by the CRHP weekend itself.

At first I really struggled with this. I couldn't imagine that I had anything truly significant to say in a witness, especially compared to all of the moving accounts that I heard on MY weekend. Then, the more people I shared details with about my experience -- how much I got out of it and what I realized about my faith (or lack there of) -- the more it seemed to touch people and was easily identifiable by individuals that I would have never guessed were having the same feelings as myself. I found there were many people living the way I was...in worry that things were too good to be true, so therefore waiting for the tragedy to hit. Many of us wasting so much time distressing on how things are going to turn out instead of enjoying the journey.

Then the other day, I sat down to watch Finding Nemo with my girls. It was at the part where Nemo's dad and Dory are trapped inside the whale's mouth. Dory says to Marlin, "He (the whale) says it's time to let go!" And Marlin says "How do you know something bad isn't going to happen?" and Dory says "I don't." That affected me. And right then and there I decided that if a blue cartoon fish could inspire -- so could I.

So I determined to do a witness on "Renewal" on that weekend in September. I don't quite know what I'm going to say yet, but I know that if I can make one person on that retreat recognize that they are not alone in their fears and help them realize (like I am gradually each day) that he has a plan 'that is good' for each of us, then it will all be worth it. Nerves and all!