We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace, and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. On the sabbath we went outside the city gate where we thought there would be a place of prayer. // Acts 16:11-13
I was born on a September Sunday in the humid heat of the Carolinas. A year later, we moved to northern Italy, where I subsisted on homemade pasta and the affections of toddler-loving Italians. At age four, we crossed the ocean again to land in the magical woods of West Point, where cadets marched and my imagination took flight amidst gray granite and centuries of tradition. A vibrant faith community embraced us, and the Holy Spirit awakened my soul to Divine Love by the warmth of candlelit Masses. We moved away once more, but my soul was called back; by college I’d returned and was a cadet myself. Many nights I’d sit in front of the monstrance by that same candlelight—hazy with the fragrance of incense—as His love flooded my heart and steered the ship of my soul in the direction of sanctification and mission.
Like Saint Paul, my life’s journey has been marked by adventure and hardship. In hindsight, I see how God, the Ultimate Guide, infused every detail with His purpose—for my own sanctification, others’ good, and His glory.
Throughout my journey, God has cultivated in me both desire and strength for all He has called me to: vocation as a wife and mother, military leadership and spiritual mentorship, love of language and writing, physical suffering with redemptive grace.
Like Saint Paul, my journey is not just a travel log; it’s a testimony.
The same is true for you. Consider your own pilgrimage through life and the encounters that have formed you. None, however joyful or painful, have been absent of God’s presence or providence.
Whether God has been your guide from the beginning or you’ve recently met Him on the journey, the moment you invite Him to take the lead, He can and will redeem every last detail.
Like Saint Paul, your history of formation is also your path to evangelization.
With the Lord as your guide, your journey can make you a Saint and help others to become Saints. Today, pause to look back and give Him permission to infuse every detail of your life—past, present, and those to come—with sanctifying purpose and redemptive grace.
Megan Hjelmstad (“Helm-stead”) is a wife, enthusiastic hockey mom, and Army Veteran living in Denver, CO. After serving fifteen years in the United States Army, Megan now serves the Church as an author, speaker, and women's mentor in her “spare” time. Megan loves to share God’s hope in suffering and is the author of Offer it Up: Discovering the Power and Purpose of Redemptive Suffering. She’s a long-time team member of Blessed is She and a writer and speaker for several other ministries. Megan adores books, sleep, sunshine, and Colorado’s great outdoors almost as much as she adores Jesus in the Eucharist. Learn more at MeganHjelmstad.com.
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