Inviting God to Work

Opportunities for us to talk about and share our faith, even if only in small ways, present themselves on a regular basis and more often than we think.  Are we open and ready for these moments?  Are we living in ways in which our faith is reflected in our daily living, rather than keeping our faith in a box separate from everything else?

Last Thursday at work, some co-workers and I were on our post-lunch walk.  As we approached the parking lot to go back inside, one of them caught up to me, and asked, “Katie, do you go to mass every weekend?”  This question was followed by questions about where I go, what time I go, and if I go with anyone.  She then proceeded to tell me that she wanted to start going to mass again after a long time, but didn’t want to go alone.  I expressed that I would be more than happy to go with her any time.  While her question took me by surprise, it made me excited.  The night before, I had been telling my brother about how I knew a few of my co-workers had either grown up Catholic and left the faith or who were still Catholic but did not really practice.  We had discussed how I could evangelize in small ways and share my faith in ways that were not forceful, but authentic and loving.  I had prayed for God to provide opportunities and asked the Holy Spirit to help me see and be open to these opportunities.  I figured that there was no way any conversation at work would naturally turn towards faith.  But God sure provided.

Earlier that day, my co-worker was looking at the Holiday schedule for 2022.  She commented, “I feel like we should have Good Friday off.”  I simply responded, “yeah, me too.”  She then asked if I was Catholic and said she was too, which is something that had briefly come up before.  That was the end of the conversation.  I didn’t think anything of it until later that day on our walk.  It is these simple conversations that God wants to use to inspire and open doors.
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How often do we leave our faith at the door when we get to work, school, or anywhere else that is not the physical church building?  Maybe we find ourselves compartmentalizing our lives, separating our faith from everything else.  We should have a desire to integrate God into every aspect of our lives, allowing Him to be reflected in all we say and do.  Of course, this is easier said than done.  But when we open ourselves up to be a vessel of God’s love and truth, He can draw others closer to Him and give them a desire to know Him more deeply.  Our words and actions can be an invitation to others.

Whatever you are doing today, pay attention to those invitations from the Holy Spirit to enter into a conversation about faith, even if it is very brief or seems insignificant.  Whether the conversation is about your weekend plans to go to mass, the latest spiritual book you are reading, or a prayer intention, God may be stirring something up in someone’s heart and it just might lead to a small spark that ignites a fire.