Monday, May 18, 2009

***Pain + Prayer = incredible PEACE***

When I was a very young wife and became blessed with bringing home our first daughter, I idealized the whole thing, kind of like a Disney movie or, at least the old sit coms where everyone got along and helped one and other . (Is this what it's like to be on some weirdo wacko drugs? Drugs of any kind are pretty random and since I don't like to take anything unless absolutely necessary, guess my drug of choice would have to be labeled as "Make your family perfect, agree with doing all good things, no back talk, everyone thinks you are some super hero and they fall over themselves trying to help each other as well.") See how safe I am from any drugs??



There actually is a reason I am telling you this. I love my daughter Ria dearly but she is and always has been her OWN PERSON, which translates into "she has driven me stark staring crazy many times" (see, Diana, you are not alone!). She has turned out to be a very loving and patient mother even when under the extreme stress of moving to a new home, packing household goods, getting stuff out of their storage rental unit and dealing with three small children...I was very proud of her and told her so, during the time I spent there helping them to move as well as babysitting.


Now, for the "pain" part of this. Well, guess I need to preface this with the fact that all three of my children were raised to be good Christians. I even went to work just so that they could go to St. Anne's school. We all went to church every Sunday and said grace before every meal, even at restaurants (and the children were good with this). Well, guess which ones go to church now? NONE...but Ria ventured there occasionally and even had the first two baptised as well as always saying grace before meals and having them say their night time prayers. I figured that she was just putting off Julia's Baptism because she was NOT attending church, but then, during this long stay with her, I noticed that the children no longer said any prayers any time or any where! One night I asked her, as the children were being put to bed..."Don't you say any prayers any more?" She very curtly replied "No and I don't want to talk about it!"



Being who I am (a big sissy wuss who loves her children so deeply and wants to see them in Heaven, so this gave me a broken heart), I looked the other way and literally prayed so that the tears would stay in my eyes and not fall (feeling or knowing that this would only irritate her) and that I would know how to deal with this. Part of me (the speak before praying part) wanted to have a discussion about 'why not and how come' which would have only antagonized her and made her lash out at me and another hurt part of me (same goofy, let's not pray first part) wanted to just shun her emotionally for the rest of my stay.



Guess what? The Holy Spirit had different plans when I called out for help. The answer given to me was so outrageous...just keep praying and say nothing and be loving. I knew this answer was from God because I was so stunned by it (my own answers never stun me, although sometimes they have been known to 'horrify' me!) Every day I prayed the rosary and they all saw that and every day I did my daily Bible reading (have this terrific 365 day Bible that walks you through the entire Bible day by day) as well as my (esp prolonged as I was adding prayers for them) grace before meals.



Just like the peace rose above, I felt so much peace, realizing I was leaving it in God's Hands and being loving no matter what (somehow 'turning the other cheek' fits in here), so the rest of my stay went so well because of that. I also blessed the children at night, made Ria laugh with my crazy sense of humor and all went well.



This doesn't mean that I give up, far from it, nope, I have hope because I have Him who is Hope, so I will continue to pray for all three of my children and their sweet families to go to church and be the people God means them to be. All of them already are wonderful, loving and generous people and I only want them to be WHOLE by giving themselves completely to the One who made them.
























Let's lighten this up for you, so that you leave with a smile and a chuckle:

~~~~~

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though they were a very large mammal their throat was very small.The little girl stated Jonah was swallowed by a whale.The teacher reiterated a whale could notswallow a human; it was impossible.The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah."The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"The little girl replied, "Then you ask him."


~~~~~

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mic, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mic cord as he went. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again.After several circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered,"If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"


~~~~~


At Sunday school they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, Johnny what is the matter? Little Johnny responded, "I have a pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife."




~~~~~Lord, our families don't come to us perfect or even as we dream them to be, so thank You for allowing us to let You guide us into loving unconditionally.

11 comments:

  1. Oh, Marcy, all five of our kids are the same way!! My husband and I sacrificed a LOT to send them to St. Luke Catholic Elementary School and then on to various Catholic High Schools and NOT ONE of them still attends Mass! They do pray, but they think nothing of shirking their religion! They hate the idea of any organized religion. It makes me sad, but I'm like you, I discuss it with them sometimes, but I don't like to argue about it. I have just thrown them all into God's Hands, and really, what better place for them to be?
    I'm happy that my daughter did have my grandson Baptized, and my son and daughter-in-law had my granddaughter Baptized.
    My husband and I are sending our grandson to a Catholic Elementary School now, and my daughter-in-law said that she will make sure my granddaughter is sent for religious instruction and will make her First Holy Communion when the time comes (that made me very happy because my son said he thought it wasn't necessary! Who raised him?!).
    I'll keep your children in my prayers along with my own children.

    Loved the jokes!

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  2. Hi Marcy,
    I was sad for you when I read your post but then I saw that the Holy Spirit led you to take the right attitude and that made me feel better about you. My daughter is still very young (only seven) but I sometimes fear that something like that (or worse) happens to her. But then I take my worries to the Lord and I trust in Him. When I read your post I also thought about my Mum. Maybe she's feeling the same as you because she is a Catholic and I have been a Catholic until four years ago. Now I attend an evangelical church but my faith has grown stronger.

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  3. Oh Marcy so many of our generation have that same issue. I too sent my children to Catholic Scools and my son to a Catholic University, we attended Mass each Sunday and always said grace before eating....now my daughter doesn't believe in organized religion but says she is spiritual and really I think she is. She did have both children baptized for which I am thankful. I believe in prayer, but I also believe the journey to God and God's home is a personal one. We can teach and guide our children but in the end it is up to them. Prayer is powerful and it is part of who I am and not a day goes by that I don't thank God for my faith and church. The older I get the more thankful I am, perhaps this will happen for our children. This world can be harsh but it is such a beautiful world and for that all thanks go to "him". Many blessings on you and your family my friend,
    ......:) Hugs, Bernie

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  4. Hi Marcy,
    I read and enjoyed reading your blog today, and it made me realize I am not alone, in that, my children too seem to have turned their back on the church, and many of the beliefs they were taught as children. My eldest son says he is spiritual, and believes in God, but not the church, the same for my other three. A few weeks ago my Grandaughter, who attends church with me on a regular basis, suddenly decided she did not want to go anymore, and says she does not believe in God at all. I too was shocked and wanted to argue and have a discussion, but I believe the Holy Spirit told me the same thing, as you, to say nothing, but continue to be loving and to pray. Maybe we could begin a prayer circle for our children and Grandchildren, and pray for not only our own, but for each other. What do you think...I sincerely believe in the "power of prayer"...thankyou so much for sharing.

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  5. Oh, Marcy, you are not going to believe the sermon at noon Mass today ~ it was all about children and grandchildren falling away from the Church!!
    The priest was wonderful, he was saying how he wishes more people would 'Church' at home, and do prayer groups in their homes, and pray with their families, and he said the very early Church was all about that, it wasn't in temples or big 'houses of worship' and he said he wishes the Church would get back to that! He was great.
    And he said the only thing we need to do for our families to guide them back is to pray for The Advocate to come upon them so they will love Jesus, and once they do that, all will be right. And he talked about the many roads that lead us to Jesus.
    So hold that in your heart, Marcy, and feel better!
    Love and Prayers,
    Eileen

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  6. Hi Marcy, I think that alot of people when they reach a certain age,for whatever reason stop going to church and or stop praying. We notice this in our church and try to accommodate this age group. Sometimes with and sometimes without success.I think that while sometimes it is a personal choice to put God on the "back burner" so to speak,mostly younger people just feel too busy to be spiritual.regardless of their spiritual upbringing.I do however believe that a strong spiritual upbringing is a necessary foundation. Weather or not they choose to publicly worship is their own choice. But it's what they believe in their hearts,that we may not see, that's important. I know that all of my children believe in our lord and that they all pray. And as much as I enjoy their company at church with me,it's really not important if they choose not to go (except Katie,she's not done yet!) with me because I know that they all have faith. My older son and daughter are both catholic,my son chooses not to go to church,but he still prays. My daughter Ginny goes to a Lutheran church,which is what my husband, Kate and I are,because she just prefers it.

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  7. I know many good people that believe being an active member of a physical church is not the only way to express a firm belief in a faith...Maybe all the different types of scandals in modern day churches have something to do with how the younger generation view organized religion...

    Marcy you come up with so many funny jokes...how do you ever do it?...Enjoy your day and take care.

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  8. Thank you for an inspiring, uplifting and funny visit to your blog. I really enjoyed my time spent here.

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  9. I'm glad you were able to spend time with your daughter and her family. Maybe she's going through something right now. I bet seeing your faith will get her thinking back in the right direction. Sometimes are actions speak louder than words...I LOVED the joke about the whale. That was hilarious..Have a Blessed Tuesday!! Love, Jerelene

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  10. It gives me hope that so many of your commenters say their children have fallen away from the church but not from God. If they still have God as the cornerstone of their lives, even on the quiet, they won't fall far.
    love, Angie, xx

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  11. It's hard to say what our children will do in any given situation. I wanted certain things for my children too but they do need to live their own life. I commend you for sitting on the side lines and not saying to much. That is a very hard thing to do I know. All anyone can really do is pray and hope. That's what I do because in the end they make their own choices. I believe that eventually will come back to the values they were brought up with. Sometimes it just takes a little longer than we would like.

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