Test me! I dare you!

+AMDG+

Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, 

he is able to help those who are being tested. 

- Hebrews 2:18

I believe experience is one of the best teachers. Maybe it is just how I learn best, but I learn from doing. I need to get my hands dirty and pull something apart and memorize how it feels and then I can begin to integrate it and write run on sentences. I enjoy tests. I feel a sense of accomplishment when someone who knows better than I can challenge me and then agree I have truly learned. I feel like now at this point in life I can began to share more and more what I am learning with others. 

I teach CCD and the kids I have are really wonderful. I gave them their midterm today and the lowest grade was an 85%, then 95% and the rest were 100%. The bonus question on the test was: What is the point of our faith? 

I have suffered for my faith. Whether it had been ideas that I had to learn or beliefs I had to give up and exchange for new ones. I believe all the suffering he helped in growing in my faith. I don't think you can have growth without suffering. Or as my friend Arnold says, 

"If it burns it grows."

I always think of the book The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen, it has been the one book which has transformed how I see life the most. I have to go into my wound and pains to bring people to God. God is waiting for me in my pain and suffering to heal me. As St. Anthony of the Desert says, "He who runs from suffering, runs from God."

He who runs from suffering, runs from God.

Take the test and enter into the suffering. I was inspired by my kids to write and to grow more. I gave them the question: What is the point of our faith? And then answer is "To know Jesus." One of my kids, who today was my Christ-bearer, said, "Mr. Louis, when are we going to learn about Jesus? I want to know Jesus." Wow I got some amazing kids! Little guy broke my heart in a good way! I guess that is why my heart looks like this:

"For the minister is called to recognize the suffering of his time in his own heart 

and make that recognition the starting point of his service.

-Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer