By Samantha Apanasewicz
Columnist
As the semester comes to a close, so does my Going Viral column. It has been a privilege to be given this platform upon which I have spread my opinions on sociopolitical content for the past three years.
As I exit the Troubadour as a columnist, one last message I wish to impart upon my readers is the impact of curiosity and inquiry upon every aspect of life. This is more commonly referred to as the cliché: “ask and you shall receive.”
I cannot count how many opportunities, blessings, and gifts I have been given over my four years at Franciscan as a result of just asking. If you have nothing to lose, why not? Sometimes the two minutes it takes to listen to someone tabling in the J.C. may alter the course of your life in a way you never would have anticipated. Yes, I am exaggerating, but not as much as you’d think.
One of my routines this semester is my 7:30pm Wednesday night holy hour in the Port. I usually use this time to read Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot. I would consider the name to be a misnomer, however.
Not only does the author focus on relationship dynamics, but it is also more than that. And this took me the whole semester to figure out, but the book is truly about denying self, choosing your cross, and following, in every capacity, not just in romantic relationships.
A part of choosing your cross is about choosing to surrender, to trust. Sometimes surrendering is not about stepping back, but accelerating forward, even without full understanding. Looking at this ideal in light of chronic sin, “you have to ask for help. It will most certainly be given” (Elliot, 142). This “help” is grace. One of the most awe-inspiring things about God and being a Catholic is that we believe grace is freely given; all we must do is ask.
Doubt is primarily what holds us back, and doubt stems from the devil. The devil knows our human condition, knows that the only way he can pull us away from eternity with Him is through sowing the seeds of doubt. These seeds may manifest themselves through commission, but also through omission. The devil wins if we do not act against him.
“God is not reluctant. He is willing, He will carry you through, if you want to be carried through. You must want to” (Elliot, 143). If an opportunity is not meant for you, the door will close naturally and a window will open. But there has to be fierce intentionality behind it. Inquiring and expressing curiosity does not assume commitment, but inquire on the basis of your personal mission and vocation: does this align with who I am? Who I want to become? What I value?
Ask, and you shall receive. Seek, and you shall find. God is closer to you, your struggles, and your aspirations than you realize. Do not fall into complacency when you go out into the world, but continue to seek God’s presence, mercy, and grace in your life.