Making your life matter is not ‘one size fits all’

    “For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
    For young adults who find themselves single in this day and age, a more thorough reflection on these words could prove to be quite enlightening.
    That is precisely what Beth Joubert set out to do when she began her talk, “Making Your Life Matter is Not One Size Fits All,” Oct. 16 at Theology on Tap at Antoine’s.
    As a youth minister and single woman, Joubert shared her profound wisdom with the young adults present there. Her words – delivered with wit, honesty, and resolute truth – spoke to many difficulties encountered by young adults today.
    Her challenge to live each moment of life for the Lord without fear, doubt, or compromise was a welcome reminder for all.
    Significant issues she addressed included the temptation for singles to compare their lives to the lives of others, as well as a possible feeling of inadequacy. Yet, as Beth so humorously pointed out, all people do not walk the same path nor are they destined for the same future. We may not all be called to be a Mother Teresa or John Paul II, but we are all called to love. A person must not be deceived by the lie that anything other than God will fully satisfy, no matter in which state of life one finds himself.
    Throughout the course of Joubert’s poignant talk, I was compelled to reflect on the verses from Jeremiah that opened the evening’s discussion. What are the Lord’s plans for me? What is my future? In what shall I hope?
    As a single woman who is currently in the midst of a great deal of uncharted waters, I began to ponder all that I have learned about my mission and my path in life.
    Over the years I have seen many people seek to fulfill the desires of their hearts through a relationship, a career or a ministry. Yet none of these can completely satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. Even married couples admit to feeling lonely sometimes.             Only God fully satisfies – only love himself can fully satisfy humanity, who was created for love.
    I have seen and experienced this throughout my life. People have failed me, maybe unintentionally, but they have. That very fact always reminds me of where I must place my hope: in his love and providence.
    Just like a child who is inclined to tell EVERYONE about the BEST PRESENT EVER, God’s love is not to be kept inside; it is to be shared.
    And so I challenge you: let love move you. Accept the Lord’s providence in having you where you are right now. There is a purpose. Get off the couch and go serve. Find ways to get involved at church – or in the community. No excuses. Young adults are the church of today, not tomorrow… get up and live.
    Dorissa Filopoulos is currently the youth band director at St. Peter Church in Covington. She can be reached at [email protected].