Thirty years ago, through His sheer mercy, I began a journey of faith—a journey of days and nights illuminated by the unwavering light of Love, the Love of all loves: Jesus.

When I look back, I see a young, dedicated dentist striving to become an excellent professional. I loved traveling, studying languages, and taking on new challenges. Scuba diving in Florida, skiing in the French Alps, and skydiving over the skies of Colombia filled my life with excitement and joy. I was happy, enjoyed spending time with my family and friends, and loved cooking. I had dreams, interests, and plans for my future.

I was born into a Catholic family. My parents worked hard to instill good values in their seven children. We were a good Catholic family, although, honestly, we did not practice our faith very actively.

After earning my dental degree, working in a hospital, and opening my own dental practice, I traveled to Paris to continue my studies and embrace new adventures. I was ready to explore the world and discover what life had to offer. But God had an adventure in mind that I could never have imagined.

It was there, during the winter of 1992, that the Lord found me. My younger sister, Janeth, introduced me to Jesus. I could describe that encounter as my own “Exodus.” With His gentleness and profound love, Jesus parted the Red Sea of my life, dividing it into two distinct chapters: life before knowing Him and life after encountering Him.

I began walking through the desert of my own story, where He revealed that He had always been there, walking beside me, even when I did not recognize His presence. He opened my eyes to a new path, one very different from my ideas of success and adventure.

When my time in Paris ended, I returned to my country, but I was no longer the same person. A new adventure awaited me: setting sail toward God’s plan for my life and following Jesus wherever He might lead. It was the adventure of stepping outside myself to serve others, especially those most in need, and discovering God’s immense love in the ordinary things and in everyone around me.

My encounter with Jesus transformed the way I saw the world. I began to recognize His wonders everywhere. The love I had received so freely kindled a fire within me, a desire to share the Good News so that others could experience the same mercy that had changed my life. I followed Jesus with great joy during this new stage of my journey. I participated in missions, and He invited me to place my dental practice at the service of those most in need.

Then, just when I thought I understood what the Lord was asking of me, He began to place another invitation in my heart: the call to consecrate my life to Him through chastity, poverty, and obedience. Honestly, I thought my vocation was marriage, and I was preparing for it. Yet, even as this unexpected invitation began to take shape, I continued to pray: “Jesus, let Your will be done in me. Make of me whatever You desire. Here I am.”

I remember as if it were yesterday the first moment I became aware of this profound and unsettling call. It was early in the morning. No one had arrived at my dental office yet. I was alone, praying and reading the Word of God, as I did every morning.  The passage from the Book of Isaiah, 62:4–5, struck my heart and mind like a sharp arrow. The experience was so profound that it shook the very foundations of my being. Once again, the Lord was stirring the waters of my life, just as He had on that winter day in Paris.

I stood up quickly, filled with a deep sense of joy but also, with fear. “Jesus, are You calling me to consecrate myself to You?” I asked. I was surprised and overwhelmed. Days and months passed. It was a time of many questions. How could I leave everything behind? Would I lose my independence? Would I never have children? I loved children! And could I really wear a religious habit every day, when I had always been so careful about the way I dressed?

These were not small questions for me. I was contemplating a future very different from the one I had imagined. Yet His call remained: quiet, constant, and patient. Like a true gentleman, He patiently showed me how much He loved me. Gradually, I came to understand that He had died on the Cross out of love for me, that His love for me was infinite, and that He desired my true happiness.

As the First Letter of Saint John tells us, “There is no fear in love” (1 Jn 4:18). His unconditional love gave me the certainty I needed to let go of my conditions and the courage to face my fears. With His grace, I took the step to begin this wonderful adventure of following Jesus in consecrated life. I discovered a freedom I had not expected. I have lost nothing; I have gained everything: I have gained Christ.

My consecration has marked my entire life. It has become my response to the One who first loved me, and this gentle call continues to invite me, thirty years later, to follow the Eternal One, the One who is Beauty itself, the Lord Jesus.

My “yes” is sustained by God’s mercy and by the tender, steadfast companionship of our Most Blessed Mother. I pray that it will remain rooted in His love until eternity.

And so, thirty years later, I continue this adventure with the same desire that first awakened in my heart: I will sing the praises of the Lord forever!

Maria Amador, PCM