Hey, this is blog post #2 and my name is Mike Miklius. I am on the board of YAM-Northwest, and I am excited to have the opportunity to write to you today. I have been in education since I graduated college, and I love to write as a hobby. Though I mostly dabble in fiction, I also enjoy thinking about my faith and reflecting on what I have learned, as well as what still confuses me. Thank you for reading, and please let me know if there is any topic you would like to see covered in a future blog…I love the Q&A style of writing.

It has struck me in the last year that being Catholic is an often paradoxical experience. We should avoid doing too much of A or B for risk of creating false gods for ourselves. We are constantly forging our own golden calves, whether they be obvious pitfalls (drugs, sex, alcohol, gambling, violence) or more subtle traps (sports, politics, famous people, technology, work, etc.). Even ignoring our temptations, it can be hard to just maintain a healthy self image. Let's start with something simple: what do you think of yourself when you look in the mirror? Do you like or dislike the person staring back? Are you filled with pride at your accomplishments and good looks, thinking about how amazing you certainly are, or are you dismayed at the chubby figure staring back…the one who is working a dead-end job and can’t seem to do anything right? Maybe you think about your bills, how you don't call home as much as you should, and you need some ice cream to push down these thoughts. I don't mean to judge: I have my own days where I feel like crap and seemingly nothing can pull me out, but I also have great days where I maybe think too much of myself. Look at me! Look what I can do! What does our faith tell us? Isn’t it dangerous to be too proud and we should stay humble? However, isn’t it also wrong to sell God’s creation—us—short of it’s amazing potential? I think to find balance, we should be somewhere in the middle. I know: that’s the least satisfying answer, right?

Let's start with why you should feel good about yourself: when God created the universe millions (or billions) of years ago, he had every aspect of creation planned out. He planned out every single person before time began. Think about that: before God created dinosaurs, he knew Shakespeare would have an amazing gift for words. Before Adam and Eve, God knew there would be a Steve Jobs and that he would be a visionary in the technology world. God knew Michael Jordan could ball before humans discovered sports. With all the amazing things God did, don't forget that you are one of them. Like Shakespeare, Jobs, and Jordan, God created you and had a design for you before you were born. He didn’t see them as the elite and you as one of the dregs; he saw you and them on the same footing. That's how important you are. You still have the freedom to choose whatever you want, but you are here to serve some vital role in the world that only you can fill. That's pretty amazing. You are clearly an important person. Just don't let it go to your head...

Okay, so God planned me out millions of years ago. Clearly I am a big deal and everyone else should watch out. Not so fast: just like you, everyone else was created in the same fashion. God created your boss, that annoying neighbor, and even Hitler. Whether or not they reached their intended purpose, God had the highest hopes for them. Maybe if things went very differently, Adolph Hitler could have been a great leader. Maybe he should have been a janitor, a painter, or a veterinarian. Why did he end up so wrong? Perhaps he wasn't loved by his parents, or he was bullied by his classmates. Any of a million things could have gone wrong in this life. Who knows? Clearly, though, something went off track at some point. Normal people don't become Hitler. The point is that if everyone around us is likewise important, shouldn't we do everything we can to help them? Part of our role needs to be helping others shine in whatever they can. Pray for the President, whoever he or she currently is, because our country needs them to succeed. Pray for the street sweeper that they keep the roads safe and beautiful. It isn't our place to question if they have reached potential, but to help them follow God's plan in whatever way they have been given. In this way, we need to humble ourselves. We need to serve our neighbors in order to help them succeed. While we are important, so is everyone else. We should, really, go out of our way to help everyone we can at every moment...our own needs be damned. After all, we need more results like Mother Theresa and fewer “Adolph Hitler” outcomes.

I think the best example of this duality, no surprise, is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. After all, who could claim to be more important than the guy who was God in human form? If anyone had reason to brag, it was Jesus. He could walk on water, heal people from injuries and conditions, turn water into wine, and return from the dead. Jesus should have been the biggest celebrity in the world. However, he humbly walked from town to town preaching the words of his Father. He didn't ask for parades or parties. He never forced his way. He never looked down on the prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers, or other "deplorables" of his time. He simply greeted everyone he encountered with a smile and welcomed them into his Divine presence. Jesus knew he had an important mission, so he did everything necessary to accomplish it. He didn't let others stand in the way of what had to be done. Still, he did it all in his own servile way. He had time for everyone who came. Even after John the Baptist's death, Jesus was soon right back to work because it's what the people needed. He had the humility to serve and the conviction to stand by his principles—even when it meant death on a cross. Jesus did all of this to show us that, even though we have amazing potential, we must still have the humility of a servant if we want to change the world.

So, we are left with this paradoxical advice and meant to live each day by it: remember that God created you and you are special. Hold your head up high because you are a unique, amazing and purposeful part of the world. However, treat others the same way because the exact same thing is true of them…they also have a unique and beautiful purpose. Though we are given the lineage of being princes and princesses in the Kingdom of Heaven, we must serve our brethren to fully live out our greatest lives.
 

PS. Please comment if there is a topic you would like to see covered in the future and we will do our best to help. Thanks again for reading.