Hello from the West Vicariate! My name is Olivia Wetter and I’m from Sacred Heart Parish in Colby. I am currently a senior at Colby High School. At school, I’m involved in tennis, band, NHS, StuCo, Cosmic Crayon, and Young Humanitarians. I am also involved in many church activities including CYO. I have been raised Catholic, but I wasn’t until high school that I really started learning about my faith.
I was confirmed as an eighth grader and when my freshman year rolled around, I decided to continue going to faith formation on Wednesday nights. However, this was really the extent of my faith. I wasn’t really in it and by sophomore year I had stopped going to almost everything. This decision took a toll on my relationship with God. Which means there really wasn’t one. That summer, my friend Morgan convinced me to go to Prayer and Action. Prayer and Action was definitely the turning point in my faith. I saw people who loved God and I wanted that too. I knew I needed to change. My junior year brought me back to my Catholic faith. I made sure to attend Mass, as well as CYO events. We met on Wednesday nights as a small group of junior and senior girls. Along with this close relationship with the other girls, my relationship with God grew stronger too. Now, I am in my senior year of high school and still trying to strengthen that relationship.
During this last year I rediscovered a story in the third chapter of Daniel in the Bible. The story goes like this: King Nebuchadnezzar built a huge gold statue. He ordered everyone to bow down and worship the statue when music was played. Anyone who disobeyed these orders would immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Now, Daniel had three friends: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Due to their Jewish beliefs, they refused to bow down to the false idol. The king brought the men before him and told them if they continued to refuse to worship the statue, they would be thrown into the furnace. Then he asked them, “Do you think there is any god that can save you?” (Daniel 15) They answered, “Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. If the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then he will. But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up.” (Daniel 16-18) With this statement, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the men be thrown in the furnace.
These guys were incredible!!! They had so much faith in God and because of this faith, they were going to worship Him no matter what happened. They knew God had the power to save them, but even if He didn’t, they would still praise Him. Isn’t that how we need to be? Trusting in God, no matter what circumstances we are in. These men are the perfect example of how we need to live our lives. They led their lives the way God wants us all to. He knows we may face hard times, but He hopes we turn to Him and trust in His plan for us regardless. Personally, I like to turn to this passage when I’m struggling in my life. It helps reassure me that God has a plan and I just need to be patient and trust in that plan. He has a plan for all of us. Whatever may happen, just remember to trust that God will help you through it.
God Bless!
Olivia
Also, if you’d like to find out what happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, open your Bible and turn to Daniel 3:19!
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