Mission Possible: Get a Mantra

The other day I was given an assignment to watch the new Mission Impossible called Ghost Protocol.  I can't really sum the movie up for you because I really didnt pay much attention to silly detail, rather I focused on the reason for my assignment plus the thrill of a lot of action-packed sequences.  I had to zero in on Tom Cruise's character and how he deflects all other distractions to focus on the mission at hand. Simple enough. I didn't really get where this was going until the very end when a secret is revealed and all the other stuff I had conjured in my head made sense.  He was in control the whole time, didnt let anyone get in the way, and everyone had a certain purpose in this mission.  Then I began to ask myself a couple questions: "What is my mission right now?" and "How do I stay engaged and focused on the mission right now?". 

For me, I work for a group called Spiritus, and we give retreats to inspire Catholic youth in their faith.  I also live in community with other young adults who are all called to be a team, striving for purpose, building each other up, and holding each other accountable.  My mission is to help the teens encounter Christ, and to be a leader for my team, which is a constant attitude check.  Tom Cruise's mission was to detonate a bomb, and to be a leader for his team. There were certain things that came up along the way that could have swayed him away or he could have gained for his personal luxury, but he knew that everything and everyone had a purpose within his mission.  That is how I must act, everything else is just details. I realized that when things come up that could pull me away from that attitude, I must use a mantra to center myself back in that zone per say. I use mantra's like, "Stay on the mission" or "This is all for you God", it really helps me to put things in perspective.  Maybe I will not become an Ethan Hunt, but I know it gives me a certain peace that I am striving for who I am meant to be.  What is your mission right now?  What is your mantra to keep you focused on that mission?

Bushel Basket of Gifts

Do we ever take the time to sit and think about the gifts that make us unique and stand out?  I think this is a great challenge for all of us: to name some of the things we are good at and on top of that, to see how we were  born to use them for a purpose.  I believe God gives us unique gifts that we must use to glorify Him and to share with our neighbor- but do we use them to our full potential? We must use them with humble confidence for Jesus clearly says, "Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?" (Mark 4:21).  We were made to be lamps and to let ourselves shine before God- our gifts allow us to do this- then others will see what brings us life.  I have been challenged by a friend to see 5 gifts that God has given me, and then I am supposed to share them with my teammates.  This is not a easy thing sometimes, but I know this exercise allows me to see a sense of purpose and ultimately helps me to be more fully alive.

The greater challenge in all of this sometimes is comparing our gifts to those around us.  I understand the feeling when someone just excels in something that we want to be good at so bad, but do not fret, for St. Paul tells us, "But instead, God has placed the parts, each one of them, in the body, just as it has pleased him. So if they were all one part, how would it be a body? But instead, there are many parts, indeed one body." (1 Corinthians 12:18-20).  He also goes on to say that everyone has gifts, and that there is no one greater than the other.  Like I said before, we must be confident in this, knowing we have our own unique gifts, but we must also be humble in acknowledging that it is part of a plan, a body, and we were made to use them for the good of mankind. Let us all take the time to see what gifts God has given us, or what ones He is calling us to use.