In my last posting, we made it to 2nd base ... starting to feel alive again after so many darned curve balls were thrown at me. I tried to steal to third and didn't make it. But I did learn something...I don't have to steal to get there. I just have to wait patiently for the next player in the game to hit the ball so I can make it there.
In this case, the player is God. And I am learning that He doesn't always take us on a straight path to the next base, but He does take us on the best route for us, even if it is full of curves.
As the holidays approached last year, I was feeling grateful to be alive and I was thinking...Robert would not want me to continue to grieve. He'd want me to move on, to find somebody to love and spend my life with, somebody who would make me happy. I was going through classes to learn what it is to be Catholic, to learn more about the Catholic church and to be Catholic. During this time I began to wonder if God meant for me to be alone the rest of my life or to become a religious missionary or nun. I began to pray about it and one day I found Catholic Match in the bulletin. I prayed some more and felt led to check out Catholic Match.
I did and have since found a wonderful friend in Victor. A year younger than I, we have a lot in common, we enjoy the same movies and music, and so much more. We didn't meet right away. We wrote to each other for about 2 months before we decided to talk on the phone too. And then about another month of writing and long phone calls until we decided to meet. Since we met in person in March, we've seen each other nearly every week. Now, when a weekend goes by without seeing or talking to him, it feels strange.
I'd like to think I know where this is going, but I don't. I do know that God has put this wonderful, Catholic-and-blind-from-birth man in my life to teach me more about my faith and to teach me that disabilities (whether it be blindness or any other form) do not need to hold you back. If you want to do it, you can if you put your trust in God and put your mind to it!
Spring was upon us and the time came for me to decide if I wanted to join the Catholic church or not. In trying to get a copy of my previous baptismal record, I found out after several months, that most Christian churches do not keep very good records and that a baptismal record was not available. I had decided long ago, even before meeting Victor, that I wanted to join this Church that I had been interested in for several years. That was made stronger by the class that I was in and by speaking with Victor and my sister about the faith. But another curve ball came my way as I began the paperwork to join...
I had been previously married and divorced. It made things a little complicated because to join and to be able to marry in the Catholic Church someday, I'd need to get an annulment. So I did a search, found my ex-husband and began the paperwork as Easter approached. It dredged up a lot of memories that I hadn't thought of in a long time. I had always focused on what he had done to make the marriage not work, but this brought something else out. It made me see what I had done wrong also. And that was a bit painful to accept and forgive myself for, but because God loves me and helped me, I was able to get through that process.
When I was baptized, confirmed and had my first Eucharist at Easter, I felt more blessed than ever...and I felt like I had finally made it to 3rd base. God continues to watch over me each day. The annulment process is completed due to the death of my ex-husband over the summer and I am free to be married in Church someday, if and when that happens.
In the meantime, I am in the home-stretch now, heading for Home Plate. It may be a short journey, it may be a long journey. It is whatever path that God leads me on to get me there. My goal is to reach Heaven, that ultimate Home Plate in the sky. I may have times when I feel like I'm on the right path to get there. I may have days when I feel like I have been tagged out and have to start all over again. But like anything else, I must keep my head up and focus on Him, trust in Him. And when I slip-up, as I know I will because I indeed am not perfect, I will have to start again. And He will be there for each and every step if I allow Him to be.
I was going to share some Scriptures and songs in this post that have helped me get through, but since it has gotten so long, I will save that for the next one called Home Plate Worthy.
In this case, the player is God. And I am learning that He doesn't always take us on a straight path to the next base, but He does take us on the best route for us, even if it is full of curves.
As the holidays approached last year, I was feeling grateful to be alive and I was thinking...Robert would not want me to continue to grieve. He'd want me to move on, to find somebody to love and spend my life with, somebody who would make me happy. I was going through classes to learn what it is to be Catholic, to learn more about the Catholic church and to be Catholic. During this time I began to wonder if God meant for me to be alone the rest of my life or to become a religious missionary or nun. I began to pray about it and one day I found Catholic Match in the bulletin. I prayed some more and felt led to check out Catholic Match.
I did and have since found a wonderful friend in Victor. A year younger than I, we have a lot in common, we enjoy the same movies and music, and so much more. We didn't meet right away. We wrote to each other for about 2 months before we decided to talk on the phone too. And then about another month of writing and long phone calls until we decided to meet. Since we met in person in March, we've seen each other nearly every week. Now, when a weekend goes by without seeing or talking to him, it feels strange.
I'd like to think I know where this is going, but I don't. I do know that God has put this wonderful, Catholic-and-blind-from-birth man in my life to teach me more about my faith and to teach me that disabilities (whether it be blindness or any other form) do not need to hold you back. If you want to do it, you can if you put your trust in God and put your mind to it!
Spring was upon us and the time came for me to decide if I wanted to join the Catholic church or not. In trying to get a copy of my previous baptismal record, I found out after several months, that most Christian churches do not keep very good records and that a baptismal record was not available. I had decided long ago, even before meeting Victor, that I wanted to join this Church that I had been interested in for several years. That was made stronger by the class that I was in and by speaking with Victor and my sister about the faith. But another curve ball came my way as I began the paperwork to join...
I had been previously married and divorced. It made things a little complicated because to join and to be able to marry in the Catholic Church someday, I'd need to get an annulment. So I did a search, found my ex-husband and began the paperwork as Easter approached. It dredged up a lot of memories that I hadn't thought of in a long time. I had always focused on what he had done to make the marriage not work, but this brought something else out. It made me see what I had done wrong also. And that was a bit painful to accept and forgive myself for, but because God loves me and helped me, I was able to get through that process.
When I was baptized, confirmed and had my first Eucharist at Easter, I felt more blessed than ever...and I felt like I had finally made it to 3rd base. God continues to watch over me each day. The annulment process is completed due to the death of my ex-husband over the summer and I am free to be married in Church someday, if and when that happens.
In the meantime, I am in the home-stretch now, heading for Home Plate. It may be a short journey, it may be a long journey. It is whatever path that God leads me on to get me there. My goal is to reach Heaven, that ultimate Home Plate in the sky. I may have times when I feel like I'm on the right path to get there. I may have days when I feel like I have been tagged out and have to start all over again. But like anything else, I must keep my head up and focus on Him, trust in Him. And when I slip-up, as I know I will because I indeed am not perfect, I will have to start again. And He will be there for each and every step if I allow Him to be.
I was going to share some Scriptures and songs in this post that have helped me get through, but since it has gotten so long, I will save that for the next one called Home Plate Worthy.