“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” – Ezekiel 36:26 

This past spring, I was ready to graduate from Ohio State University. This was the moment I was waiting for – five long years of being in college, and I was ready to finally be done. Then, during the week of commencement, I found out I couldn’t graduate; I had to take another semester. My life was in shambles, and I did not know what to do. 

Over the course of the month, I questioned myself, and I questioned God. I spent countless hours in the chapel and at Mass talking with the Lord, asking, “How could this happen? Why did this happen to me?” I was deep into the messiness of my life. 

But one day changed everything, the way I looked at faith and the trust I had for the Lord. On May 27, a rainy Friday evening, I was at the Columbus St. Thomas More Newman Center for the 5:30 p.m. Mass. Afterward, I talked to Jimmy (Hsu, who was previously a priest at the Newman Center) in the lobby. 

He asked if I was interested in an intern job for the Columbus diocese. I told him that I would consider it. As we were talking, a woman walked into the lobby. Father Jimmy turned to her and asked, “Hey, Erin, do you still have that intern job available? I have someone interested.” 

I turned to Erin (who is now my supervisor) and said, “Hey, I’m Kenny! I’m interested in the job.” At that moment, everything I had been dealing with was overwhelmed by joy and anticipation for what was to come. 

In moments when we feel like we are drowning, the Lord enters the mess of our lives and pulls us from the depths. He continuously reminds us that we are not alone. He is always there, and He truly wants to be intimate. 

A Bible verse that has touched me is the one from Ezekiel at the beginning of this column. I had a lot of weight on my heart with the burden of not being able to graduate. The Lord took that burden and made it into an opportunity. He crushed my heart of stone and made it into a heart of flesh. He turned the darkness in my heart into joy.  

Do not dwell on the burdens that are within your heart; take them to the Lord. The Lord always hears us in prayer. He provides us with many opportunities to build upon our relationship with Him. All you need is to be present with Him. Put your full trust in the Lord. He knows us more than we know ourselves, and He wants the best for us. 

Will you take the step of trusting Him?