Hi everyone, I’m Maddie! I was blessed with the opportunity to attend SEEK24 this year in St. Louis with St. Elizabeth’s and the Auraria Catholic group. This was my second time going to SEEK. Last year I met some of my now best friends at SEEK, so getting to go with them this year was amazing.
I went into the week hoping to learn and grow in my faith and that was exactly what happened. Many of the talks I went to felt like they were made specifically for me. The Lord opened my heart and mind to receive His word and to see what parts of my life need changing.
The first women’s talk resonated with me the most. Carrie Wagner talked about what it means to be a woman. She said, “Sometimes the things we think are our identity are not.” It made me realize that I often attach my identity to things of this world when I should first identify myself as a daughter of God. This was the first time I had heard this sentiment.
This was an eye-opening concept for me. Just as my dad on Earth delights in me, my Heavenly Father delights in me and wants to know me. This means coming to Him as I am, imperfect and in need of His love. As with any relationship, vulnerability is key in letting God get to know you. This SEEK I began to be vulnerable and honest with God in my prayer life. I began to seek out His love and be more open to His will in my life.
In receiving His love, I was also able to give love to the men and women from our campus who came to SEEK. From concerts in the car to late nights talking about our faith and prayer life, getting to know them more and growing in friendship was my favorite part of SEEK. The opportunity to take the love I have received and share it with them was beautiful. I enjoyed that people felt comfortable being vulnerable and sharing their hearts with me. It was a unique experience to be able to grow in such deep friendship in only a week. I also enjoyed opening up to others and receiving their feedback and advice. It brought me a great sense of belonging to know that others have had similar experiences in their faith journey. I know the friendships I both made and strengthened at SEEK will be some of the best in my life.
I look forward to continuing to grow in my prayer life and in my identity as a daughter of God. The array of knowledge I gained at SEEK will help me continue to grow, but the friends I made at SEEK will push me to grow. It was a blessing to go to SEEK and if I had to describe the whole week in one word, it would be swoodal.
Swoodal (Adjective) – something that is incredible, amazing, life changing, and good for the soul.