A high school senior’s story of faith, patience and finding God in the ordinary
God is transcendent. I have believed this my entire life, and have always known that He is present in my life and in the lives of those around me. Throughout my life, I have struggled to maintain a close relationship with and a firm belief in Jesus, and there are always times when I don’t feel His presence at all. It has taken me a long time to realize that this experience is similar to any other relationship; we will always encounter moments of closeness and moments of distance with those we love.
In this essay, I would like to share some reflections on a period of my life when the Lord transformed my understanding, revealing Himself through the people around me. The Eucharist, our Lord and God, reflects this transformation. It appears simple on the surface, yet it possesses a greater degree of depth than those on the outside could ever see.
I am a senior in high school, and my biggest passion in life is volleyball. When the summer of 2024 began, I felt stuck. The Lord had just blessed me with an incredibly successful track season, where my teammates and I achieved more than I ever thought possible. It was a season that erased all the doubts I had experienced over the past year, thanks to the grace of God. However, I came off that exhilarating “high” to a summer that felt just like any other. It became repetitive, and I spent three months recovering from mild injuries while working a dull job.
I felt stagnant and stuck, so I prayed to God, asking Him to do something with my life. As I sat there in frustration, wishing that He would take action, I sensed Him laughing.
“You impatient child, just give Me a little time.”
Listening, Sensing and Seeing
And so, I gave it to God. I trusted Him, or at least I tried to. I didn’t feel Him at first, and I wasn’t seeing any immediate signs of Him working in my life. I compare this to Catholics at Mass, who watch as the priest consecrates the Eucharist but see no change in the appearance of the bread. It’s hard for us to really, truly believe that something is happening because our eyes deceive us. Just as a transformation occurs during the Mass, events were unfolding during my seemingly dull summer; I just couldn’t see them yet.
The first lesson the Lord taught me this year was to rely on Him. When I have too many thoughts pinballing around in my head, I often talk aloud to Him while I drive. On one such occasion after the volleyball season started, I felt like I wasn’t being a good leader for my team. I sensed there were still things missing and that I lacked the support I needed. In that moment, I felt God communicate this to me in so many words: “You bring what’s missing, and you receive everything you need from Me.” After that, I felt a sense of strength and stability. Nothing in games seemed able to shake me anymore.
Our volleyball team made it to the state finals this year and finished as the runner-up in Division Four. Some may feel disappointed that we didn’t win, others might be proud of our achievement, and some may not care at all—and that’s perfectly fine.
The Eucharist is like this. Some people genuinely care about it and know Jesus is present. Others may feel a bit disappointed that nothing visibly exciting happens during transubstantiation (the moment when the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus), but they still choose to believe and participate. Then there are those who don’t care, don’t believe and prefer to stay away from the Eucharist and the Mass altogether.
Five months and one volleyball season after asking for God to do something in my life and hearing His laughter in response, I stood on a volleyball court to compete for the state championship. In stillness, I seared the moment into my mind and remembered how God told me that He just needed “a little time.”
Give Him time. Give Him your time. I promise that you will not regret it.
Essay by Sydney Marx, Senior at Regis High School in Eau Claire
Published in the Spring 2025 issue of Catholic Life Magazine