During Holy Week I was asked to pray for a young woman who was contemplating an abortion...I did and I am asked to pray for that reason many times. I pray and give it all to Him. This time it was different and I don't know why. Only God does. On Holy Thursday at Mass I had a powerful one on one with Jesus...I begged Him on the cross to intercede for this young woman and to save her child. I dramatically asked Jesus to strike her down and make her see the value of her baby although I knew she had had multiple abortions in her past and was a previous drug user. I knew I didn't have that relationship with Jesus when I was pregnant and never asked for His help. Then on Goo d Friday I had another powerful and very pointed conversation with our Lord about this woman and begged Him again, choking back tears, as I begged. Holy Saturday morning I was driving to visit with Meghan, a powerful prayer warrior, and got a text stating her abortion had been cancelled and they didn't know why. Thank you Meghan. Hmmmm is all I thought. Please stick with this story...it only gets better.
A week went by and I hadn't heard anything further and inquired. Well, God does have a sense of humor at times. This woman was picked up on a year old charge of stealing a car and put in jail for 6-7 weeks. I think God wanted to make sure she would not have access to an abortion. And then I was asked if I would visit her in jail and without hesitation I said 'yes'. As I was driving out there (a mere 50 miles away) I sort of chuckled and thought what am I doing....well I was doing what He asked me to do...to be his hands and feet with this young woman. I wasn't sure what I was going to say to her so I left it all up to the Holy Spirit. I didn't even know what she looked like. I met my friend Beth there who runs a Catholic home for unwed mothers which is how I learned of this woman. When she came out behind the glass I felt a connection immediately...I put my hand on the glass and asked that she put her hand up there also...I said to her that was a hug from me to her..I assured her I had walked her path and we would be there to support her. I kept talking of her baby and Beth said to her she thought this baby would change her life and I agreed. The half hour visit flew by. I told her I would be back to see her the next week since Beth couldn't make it. I went out alone the next week and wondered how we would fill the hour up. As soon as she came out for the visit we hugged by putting our hands on the glass...amazing the power of suggestion. Again, the time flew by...I assured her we would be there to support her if she was willing to change...I believed she was ready. I wrote to her in between visits giving her assuredness which then gave her hope.
Amazingly, and only through the grace of God and the power of prayer, she is being released today with one of the judges mandates is that she be mandated to this Catholic home for pregnant women known as Mary's Mantle.
I plan to visit her and her baby in the womb this weekend....I feel Gd has asked me to walk this path with her and to bring Jesus to her. I am honored to do so. More to come...
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Observations and ramblings
On my way back from vacation recently I was observing a young woman in the seat ahead of me voraciously reading US magazine as well as Self magazine. This young woman was reading it with such intensity that I wondered if she obtained her 'self image' from publications such as that. After I thought about it I imagined she probably did...how very sad..really. Most of the magazines like that reveal the human body top the extent of promiscuity and never show anything but 'perfection' which none of us can attain anyways, and really, who would want to? I can;t help but think how much happier and intentional our society would be if we realized a few beliefs..our bodies are not ours but rather are 'on loan' to us from God. Our bodies are not to be used for evil but rather for good and for Him and for His good. I wish I would have known that years ago. My life would have been so different.
We wander around this crazy world looking for peace and happiness only He can offer. When will we realize we can never attain what He can offer. he doesn;t deny us happiness or beauty or pleasure but NOT to the obscene extent we have taken it. We think breast augmentations make us more beautiful and if we think that surely our husbands/boyfriends will be more content. Men & women still leave each other for another, seeking even more happiness and pleasure and never attaining it. We have become a society of gluttons..eating and drinking in excess and our answer to be more acceptable towards this 'perfect' look in society is weight loss surgery...a surgery being performed at record numbers and seen as a very common procedure. We think it is OK to abort our children if the time is not right to have a child or if we are faced with an 'unplanned' pregnancy...no such thing as an unplanned pregnancy...God creates life and plans the pregnancies...not us. Nothing is by accident with God. We all know abortion i inherently wrong but because it is legal we can justify it. When ill we see the truth of God?
After much pain and suffering in my own life and in my own bad decisions , through my own free will, I now get it. I now know there is nothing more important than doing it all for Him...as Mother Teresa said....if it is not of God it is not worth doing. Amen. I have an amazing relationship with Jesus...with Mary, the Mother of God, our Mother, and it continues to grow in my journey. My husband John encouraged us to pray the rosary daily three years ago and I fought the repetitious prayer of the rosary but I now love it and can't imagine not saying a daily rosary. I used to give my testimony to anyone who would listen but then I realized t was no more than a testimony. Another sad abortion story. A priest challenged me to develop my story as more than just a story but to emphasize what it was which brought me to this point. It was truly His mercy and forgiveness. That is what I have to share with people and in doing so bring them to Jesus...bring Jesus to others. We are all called to do it.
We wander around this crazy world looking for peace and happiness only He can offer. When will we realize we can never attain what He can offer. he doesn;t deny us happiness or beauty or pleasure but NOT to the obscene extent we have taken it. We think breast augmentations make us more beautiful and if we think that surely our husbands/boyfriends will be more content. Men & women still leave each other for another, seeking even more happiness and pleasure and never attaining it. We have become a society of gluttons..eating and drinking in excess and our answer to be more acceptable towards this 'perfect' look in society is weight loss surgery...a surgery being performed at record numbers and seen as a very common procedure. We think it is OK to abort our children if the time is not right to have a child or if we are faced with an 'unplanned' pregnancy...no such thing as an unplanned pregnancy...God creates life and plans the pregnancies...not us. Nothing is by accident with God. We all know abortion i inherently wrong but because it is legal we can justify it. When ill we see the truth of God?
After much pain and suffering in my own life and in my own bad decisions , through my own free will, I now get it. I now know there is nothing more important than doing it all for Him...as Mother Teresa said....if it is not of God it is not worth doing. Amen. I have an amazing relationship with Jesus...with Mary, the Mother of God, our Mother, and it continues to grow in my journey. My husband John encouraged us to pray the rosary daily three years ago and I fought the repetitious prayer of the rosary but I now love it and can't imagine not saying a daily rosary. I used to give my testimony to anyone who would listen but then I realized t was no more than a testimony. Another sad abortion story. A priest challenged me to develop my story as more than just a story but to emphasize what it was which brought me to this point. It was truly His mercy and forgiveness. That is what I have to share with people and in doing so bring them to Jesus...bring Jesus to others. We are all called to do it.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Mother's Day 2013
It has been quite some time since I have blogged so here goes my commitment of blogging at least once a week...I hear it is good for the soul. It has been a tough year to say the least and for many reasons....so much has been taken away and yet so much has been gained. My dear brother died last year....my friend, my confidante, the last of my 'immediate' family. Family is so very important yet when you lose all of your family you learn, and it is apparent, that your friends become like your family and I have been blessed with so many wonderful and understanding friends. Which brings me to Mother's Day.....a mixed emotion day for sure..... I can't help but think on this special day, what if....
What if I had my three children in my life, what if I had sought out some counseling before I made my decision, what if I had understood the values that were given me and lived a better life. What if I had understood, really understood, what I had done o many years go. So many things I could have done differently but I didn't. So tomorrow when I look around at all of the mothers I will feel that pain even moreso than I do on a daily basis. I regret my decision period.
However, like all of us, God has a plan. He allows us to take our wrongs and to do good with them and to not just tell another sad story but to bring Him to others. Let others know of aphis forgiving power.
What if I had my three children in my life, what if I had sought out some counseling before I made my decision, what if I had understood the values that were given me and lived a better life. What if I had understood, really understood, what I had done o many years go. So many things I could have done differently but I didn't. So tomorrow when I look around at all of the mothers I will feel that pain even moreso than I do on a daily basis. I regret my decision period.
However, like all of us, God has a plan. He allows us to take our wrongs and to do good with them and to not just tell another sad story but to bring Him to others. Let others know of aphis forgiving power.
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