When Project Mexico first offered me the position of Homebuilding Coordinator, I knew that I wasn’t up to the job. That’s not modesty, nor self-deprecation; it’s just fact. Ultimately, I had to say, “As I am, right now, I can’t do this. So, I have to trust that, along the way, God will help me grow into someone who can.”

And now I can happily say that my trust was not misplaced. 

Recently, Fr. Rob Spaliatsos, the missionary director of OCMC, spoke at Project Mexico. He said that life is more about accepting invitations than coming up with plans. I’ve found that to be true. I didn’t plan the best experiences in my life—a door opened and I walked through. The important thing is having the courage to walk through the door, trusting that God has your back—because that’s where growth happens.

As a psychology major, I like to think about growth from a neurological perspective. Usually, when you experience something new, your brain simply fits it into an existing framework. You effectively add a folder to your mental desk drawer, and oftentimes, that’s good enough. 

But sometimes it’s not. 

Sometimes an experience is so revolutionary that it necessitates a complete reframing of how you view the world. Then, you have to sit down, empty out your drawer, and rethink your entire organizational strategy. And in that process—painful as it may be—you grow.

For me, taking on this position was one of those experiences, and there was a lot in my drawer that needed to be thrown out. But I think that was God’s plan all along. Looking back, I don’t fully understand the process. I think there was a good bit of grace involved. But the key thing was saying, “God, I don’t know how You’ll make this work, but I trust that You will.”

My hope is that the next time a door opens in front of you, and you feel a wild breeze wafting through from strange, unknown lands, you’ll take a deep breath, say a quick prayer, place your trust in God’s plan, and step through.