Today at church, the priest talked about a national youth conference he recently attended with some of the high school teens from the parish. It was obvious that he was very excited as he shared how proud he was of the kids and so impressed with their behavior and faith. He was kind of all over the place in his message and did ramble some in his exuberance. He talked about feeling the “retreat high” that comes from spending a couple of days away and focusing on the love and mercy of God. I could very much relate to that feeling and my heart raced a little as I thought about some of the specific retreats I attended with youth. They were energizing, exhausting, and sometimes spiritually overwhelming. That “retreat high” would usually last for days and slowly diminish. But I believe I would come away from each one having grown closer to God in some way that would make a lasting impact.

I Found God today realizing how my faith grew through youth and retreats.