While studying at Aquinas College, I began to discern my vocation. I found incredible joy in the invitation to know the One who shaped my heart. I was anxious to love and serve the Lord, and I set my sights on graduating from college as soon as possible to pursue His will.

After I graduated, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and I spent most of the next two years supporting her through treatments. Around the same time, I began having severe heart problems. My doctors weren’t able to pinpoint what was wrong, just that it was becoming unmanageable. I feared I would never be able to live out my vocation.

I was working at my old youth camp when I met several of the Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln. I went on a “Come and See” retreat with them, and was immediately struck by the joy of their vibrant community! It became clear that these sisters welcomed every person they encountered with the warmth of the Blessed Mother. The way the Marian Sisters delight in others made entering into this new place feel like coming home.

The “Come and See” weekend with the Marian Sisters concluded with Eucharistic Adoration. During that time, I prayed, “God, if this is your will for me, hold my heart.” Shortly thereafter, my doctor uncovered the root of my heart problems. With this renewed hope in my future, my mom told me, “You have to stop putting your life on hold waiting for everything to be okay.”

The more I come to know the Sisters, the more I fall in love with their mission of doing God’s will joyfully, in imitation of Mary and St. Francis. The Marian Sisters live out this charism with such clear intentionality. There is a nurturing love in all that they do – from education and social work to healthcare. I am so excited to give my heart to God! May my life in Him allow all I encounter the opportunity to experience the beauty, freedom, grace, and joy of Christ’s love.