Consider your circle of influence

Listening to the wisdom of the saints helps us remember there is much to celebrate. We are alive for another day. While there is so much we can’t control, we can focus on what we can do.

St. Francis de Sales advocated for living in the moment. “Leave the past to God’s mercy, the future to his Divine Providence and embrace the present willingly and lovingly,” he said. He also advised us to “bloom where you are planted.” In other words, in our own homes, work and communities, we should do what we can to make a difference.

In his book, “33 Days to Merciful Love,” Father Michael E. Gaitley, with the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, also offers us the example of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who advised, “Keep trying: Keep trying to grow in holiness and do little things with great love.”

We witness this wisdom lived out daily in the work of so many here on the frontera. Daily, starting with how we care for our families, we are making a difference, influencing the people in our lives with our actions, with our love.

And it’s not just the saints who offer us this advice. Stephen Covey, in his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, points to being proactive as the first essential habit. He notes as we look at being proactive, we should consider our circle of influence, areas of which we have control instead of focusing on the circles of concern, those areas which are out of our control.

Patrick Lencioni, author and management consultant, spoke about the circle of influence and circle of concern during the Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America in Orlando, Florida, this past July.

He said we have to focus on our circle of influence; otherwise, if we focus on the circle of concern, there is a danger of doing nothing. People can lose hope and get bitter, he said. However, hope grows with those who take action. This starts, he said, with our faith life, our interior peace and personal holiness. We then need to work with our teams (within an organization) with whom we share a responsibility.

In August, we had a chance to give Cardinal Blase Cupich and visitors from Catholic Extension who traveled from Chicago a tour of some of the different areas in our diocese, including the Humanitarian Respite Center at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen and La Posada Providencia in San Benito. I emerged reenergized by witnessing again the amazing work taking place.

During the visit to La Posada Providencia, an emergency shelter for refugees fleeing from political oppression, natural disasters and poverty, we had some time to hear the stories of the residents. Some came from Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, South Africa and the Ukraine. They met at the shelter as strangers, but under the guidance of the sisters who run La Posada Providencia, they have formed a temporary family, helping one another heal from some of the struggles they’ve lived as they learn English together and share their talents at the shelter.

As they recounted their stories, they each mentioned how much they appreciated Sister Zita Telkamp, a Sister of the Divine Providence who has served as the director since 2008. In a story we published in our newspaper in 2013, Sister Telkamp, who “welcomes the stranger” at all hours and from multiple countries, was noted as not just an administrator, but also “a chauffeur, teacher, friend and much more.” Sister Telkamp, who lives on the property where the shelter is located, is virtually on call around the clock.

In our communications ministry, we get to cover stories every day about the people in our diocese here in the Rio Grande Valley like Sister Telkamp who put their faith into action, people who use their gifts within their circle of influence to help one another on this pilgrimage of life. We may be among the poorest dioceses in the nation, relying on the generosity of founders such as Catholic Extension and others, but we live in an abundance of love.

In our present political environment, it is natural to worry about health care, immigration and safety. We must do more than worry. We must stay informed, speak up, and take action, remembering we can be more effective by focusing on what we can do close to home in our own families, work environments and communities.

After our visitors from Chicago leave, after the cameras and reporters disappear, after we return to our day-to-day, the work continues within our circle of influence. Love continues to overflow as well in our communities. It does so because of the inspiring men and women, women like Sister Telkamp and so many others whose stories we need to tell.

(Originally published in September 2017 edition of The Valley Catholic newspaper)