Laura Daily
Most people who know me would describe me as an overwhelmingly joyful person. Generally, I view this as a good thing, though my housemates have instituted a decibel cap in an attempt to control my particularly audible outbursts. I find great solace in inspiring joy and laughter, and I believe God has especially entrusted me with the mission to do so.
So what’s the deal with Laura? Why is she so joyful? The answer lies in the title of this article. Behold the terribly mundane explanation to my Catholicism: My parents baptized me as an infant. The end.
Just kidding! Ha. My baptism set into motion a beautifully unique roller coaster of a journey, one that only God could have created. I’ve only now come to realize that it has largely focused on surrender.
I had a fairly typical childhood: My years at All Saints Catholic School in Lakeville built a strong foundation for my faith and somehow formed me into the weirdo I am today. I discovered my love for making people laugh and that I didn’t mind acting like a fool to do so. I felt great confidence in my oddities and knew that God loved them all and wanted me to spread humor like butter on the bread of the world.
Fast forward to today: I stand as a witness that true joy lies in Christ. In my teenage and early young adulthood years, I turned to materials and vice in an angst-filled search for satisfaction and a sense of belonging. The instant gratification offered by the world sufficed for a time, but eventually I found that I just felt empty. I wandered aimlessly away from God, wondering why I didn’t feel fulfilled. In hindsight, I think I can say that my missteps came from a place of pride. I wanted complete control of my life and to bask in my worldly attachments.
Thankfully, the Good Shepherd chased after his lost little Laura. I found a community of amazing, devout Catholics in college that simply glowed with the light of Christ’s love. That light intrigued me, and I learned that it shone out of trust in him. As I learned more and more of Christ, he slowly became more and more irresistible, and I couldn’t help but place my trust in our lovely Savior as well.
What a walk in the park since I had that realization (I say with complete and tasteful sarcasm). Surrender is an active, continual, intentional choice every single day. I can testify that some days the choice is easier than others. In my experience, choosing to surrender relieves the burden of being horribly lost and alone. We have a good Father who walks with us even in the valleys of death. We have a generous Savior who gave his life to save us. How can we not rejoice at that?
I can only hope that my joy, my confident weirdness, will act as a witness to God’s pursuit of me and our unfolding love story. I hope that my joy will act as a witness to the freedom he promises us. I hope that my joy will cause others to stop and wonder, “What’s with her?” so I have the opportunity to openly and joyfully share the light of Christ’s love.
Daily, 25, regularly attends Mass at Nativity of Our Lord and St. Mark, both in St. Paul, and also goes to eucharistic adoration at St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony. She plays softball and volleyball, and belongs to Catholic Softball Group. She likes “breaking into silly dances,” exploring the outdoors, going camping with friends, baking, singing and spending time with loved ones. She hopes to do more traveling and works for a nonprofit called Wishes and More.
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