There are times in our lives when we realize how loved we are. This past day and a half has been one of those times. When I rode in to Ely, NV yesterday (part of the Las Vegas Diocese, yet 3 hours away) I was greeted with a crowd of supporters. Among the crowd, my dad who drove 3 hours from Salt Lake City just to see me, Fr. Bob Stoeckig a man with a hundred jobs and even more titles yet finds time to be a great friend and mentor, Grace Casseta our diocesan youth minister and a committed volunteer with me and others at the Catholic Worker in Las Vegas, Bishop Pepe our local Bishop who was there to cheer us on and give us all the prayers and support we could use, and Sr. Pat a woman of great humor and wisdom whose hugs are such a blessing to all who receive one. These people and others from the Las Vegas diocese, where I reside came to support all the riders, but I have to admit I felt especially blessed to call them all personal friends of mine. On Wednesday morning before I left the parish they all came out to say goodbye at 5:30 in the morning. I rode off onto highway 50 feeling like I must be the most blessed person alive.

The ride across Nevada has been a difficult one and you get a lot of time to think about your life. It’s brought many questions to my mind about where my life has been, where life is going and whether or not I’m really listening to the path God has laid out for me. So today while riding I realized a few things. Maybe the best way we know if we’re on the right path is by how much we’re loved. When I look back on life (only 24 years), those who have loved me have guided me, not by telling me what to do, but by inviting and suggesting ways to live life more fully. They’ve allowed me to grow by making mistakes and then welcoming me back with loving arms. Perhaps this is how we are to deal with the poor as well. I work with many homeless folks in the Las Vegas area who are at our house everyday. Their brokenness is very evident to those of us who serve them. They are incredibly needy, very demanding, and often don’t want to listen to any of our subtle suggestions in order to straighten out their lives. However where I’ve seen changes occur is when we are persistent with our suggestions, and never lacking in our forgiveness and love when they decide to go a different way. Time and again like myself and everyone else, the folks we serve want to do it their own way, by continuing to live life down the same path that got them homeless or whatever situation they are in. Sometimes when I get upset and discouraged with someone I think to myself that just maybe they weren’t loved enough. So we must give love as if it had never been shown before. Slowly people see that the love you are showing them is a guide to a better life. The love I was shown continues to guide me down the road to D.C. and I’m certain well beyond my 24 years of life.

Ryan Hall