Mark is a ChristLife Young Adult who attended the Discovering Christ filmed retreat in March 2016. He shares how the Lord spoke to him through the course.

Before the Discovering Christ course, I couldn’t say I didn’t know who Christ was. I couldn’t say that I didn’t know what He taught. As a graduate of Franciscan University with a degree in Theology, I’d have to say that I know more than most about who Christ is and what He taught. I also couldn’t say that I was a rebel with a wild streak before this course. I’ve always been respectful of rules and I’ve tried to live my life according to them. I’m a cradle Catholic, and I’ve been following Christ as long as I can remember. I’d also have to say that I’ve been a serious disciple of Christ’s since my junior year of high school and even more so since college. My relationship with Christ has been growing and has sustained me through a lot of storms and already brought light to a lot of inner darkness. Thus, going into the Discovering Christ course, I didn’t expect anything more than an opportunity to refocus on my relationship with the Lord. I didn’t foresee how life-altering it would be. 

Our hearts have a deep longing for… something… We don’t always know what that something is, but if we’re left too long in silence without something to distract us, we feel the void pressing in on us. It’s why we don’t like being by ourselves with nothing to do. Fresh out of college and the “adult” world in front of me, I acutely felt this void as I entered the retreat. I fell into the same mindset as a lot of my fellow twenty-somethings, that I need to figure out where my life is headed and have it all planned out. That was exactly where the Lord wanted to work during the Discovering Christ course. 

The course reminded me that Christ doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves on the journey to Heaven. He constantly gives us the strength we need to fight through our toughest struggles and gives us direction in the murkiest fog. Christ is always by our side and is generous in helping us find the way to fill the void in our hearts. But the thing is, most of us don’t go to Him for strength or sit in silence long enough to hear His guidance. This course reminded me that I wasn’t relying on Christ’s strength. I was trying to figure
everything out by myself, and that’s where my stress
and anxiety came from. 

At the climax of the course, the Holy Spirit retreat, the Lord brought me to the point where I finally surrendered my future to Him. I let go of the need to know everything and have a plan for everything. He brought me to a point where I trusted that He would give me my mission in this world. He knows my heart better than I do, and His directions are sure to satisfy me. I might have to wait for a little while as He prepares the next steps in my life, but when it’s time to move on, He’ll let me know.

In the months following the course, a deep peace has filled my heart where anxiety and stress previously resided. I don’t have all the answers to my future, but giving up the need to know all the answers has given me the freedom to truly enjoy my life right now. If you were to look at my life from the outside, you might not see much of a difference. But I can assure you, I’ve never been so peaceful in the face of my future and all of its unknowns.