by Catherine : An OLSH partner in mission

Often when we see something terrible happen we don’t know what to do.  We think everything is too hard, too big and beyond us.  There’s an old saying:  “Where there’s a will there’s a way” and this is definitely true.  We don’t always know the way and often we get too caught up going through the things we can’t do, rather than focusing on the things we can.  I guess it is all about perspective.

Recently Sr Marivic, from the Philippines shared on Facebook that one of the lay associates from her community lost their home in a fire.  As you can imagine everyone was devastated and also as you can imagine, it was hard to know what to do.  She aired her thoughts wondering what could be done and who could help.  She ended up answering her own question.  She could and she would do something.  What she is doing makes my heart sing.  She looked at the situation from a different perspective, she turned her “I can’t” into “I can”.  What can she do?

She can make bags, sell them and donate the money to the family to assist with the rebuild.  Will it cover the whole cost of the rebuild?  Probably not, but it will help, it will make a difference and the family will know that others are thinking of them and that they are not alone.  Whilst recently in the Philippines I was able to assist the Sisters to buy a sewing machine, from donations I had received from family and friends.  I also had the privilege of teaching the Sisters and those in their community how to make a bag.  Yep, you guessed it that sewing machine and those skills are being used.

Today I reshare the words attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero (although not really his from what I understand) which seem more pertinent than ever.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own

God’s grace has certainly entered and all those who have assisted in some way have been prophets of a future that isn’t their own.

Just to let you know.  The last I heard 54 bags have been made and the orders keep coming.  The community is very busy indeed.  Check out their colourful creations below.