Beloved 10th grader Elizabeth Schickel has been struggling with brain cancer for the past year. Montrose’s Head of School, Dr. Bohlin wrote this article in “Next Week at Montrose” to help the community reflect broadly on the opportunities for spiritual growth such extraordinary challenges pose. This article is reprinted with permission.
“Where is God in all of this?” is a legitimate question, and one we ask in the face of natural disasters, sickness, unemployment, the loss of family and friends. Life is full of surprises and joys as well as heartaches and disappointments. Every day, we remember Elizabeth Schickel in our Mass intentions and in our hours of class time, practice, rehearsals, activities and work. Despite our best efforts we can occasionally lose our footing and find ourselves asking, “Where is God in all of this?”
In a wonderful little book entitled Called to Life by Jacques Philippe, I was reminded that the surest route to finding God “in all of this” is to begin again each day with new acts of faith, hope and love. This daily decision can help us catch our breath, regain our balance and move forward with purpose. We grow in faith every time we put Elizabeth in God’s all embracing arms. We renew our hope when we ask to understand and trust God’s infinite wisdom, even when his plan seems quite different from ours. Hope is not for foolish optimists. It is the virtue of realists who understand that life is eternal (1 Pet. 1:3-7). We love, when we help build the kingdom of heaven on earth, sharing the peace and joy of Christ with the people at our side. Over this past year our students and families have shown their love for Elizabeth and her family in abundant ways. And we will continue to do so.
Life is not about smooth sailing but learning how to adjust the sails and navigate any seas. Where is God in all of this? Right here on the boat by our side, working small and large miracles in each of our hearts, guiding us through uncharted waters.