Those Who Never Stop Trying

I've been having some writer's block this week, and I've been desperately trying to come up with anything to post about, and it's not working. At all. This week has produced nothing in my head except a lot of fluff and cobwebs. I'm going on retreat this weekend, so hopefully that will clear everything out and give me fodder for new posts, but until then, I want to talk a little about an idea I've had for a small reflection series. Maybe this idea is God's way of telling me to stop talking about myself for once, and to look to other people for their valuable contributions.

A couple of weeks ago, I came up with the idea of telling the stories of some of my close friends here at school, mostly because I've already regaled too many people with my own story, especially here. It was also partly because I've been hearing more and more of their stories, and they're so beautiful and unique that I want to be able to share them with others (with their permission, of course). The idea was brought up, and three of them consented, though I hope to add a couple more friends to the list before I start writing the series. I want to be able to tell their stores, and then to talk about them a tiny bit from the point of view of a friend, because some of them have amazingly inspirational stories.

I suppose I want this to be an exercise in appreciation, now that I think about it. I want whoever reads these posts about my friends to see how many very ordinary, inspiring people of faith there are all around us. I often seem to take my friends' faith for granted because I live in a bit of a bubble, but I want to be able to expose how even normal people with regular lives and struggles can be good motivators and models for the rest of us. After all, the Church isn't a museum of saints, it's a hospital for sinners, and each one has a story which is worth telling. Each person I'd like to write about has his or her own worthwhile example to give, and I want it to be able to shine for everyone.

Hey, if the lives of the saints can be instructive, how much more the lives of sinners? You know what they say about saints? They're just sinners who never stopped trying.