wake up call
Have you ever had a wake up call? To life I mean? Like WHHHHAM???!!! Out of the blue? You think you know it all...feelin’ good, feelin’ confident,
and then it happens…
I had this experience about 7 years ago. A friend threw a monkey wrench into my perfectly lovely, very happy world by introducing me to a Catholic priest* that rocked my world. He caused me to think about things I thought I had already figured out...only I found out, I still needed to do a bit more “figuring.” With a big white smile, punctuated by hot pink lipstick she lovingly challenged me to go outside of my spiritual comfort zone...and then left the rest up to God.
Are you that kind of friend...the kind of friend that points the way--the “light switch” kind of friend? The kind of friend that loves your friends so much that you would rather run the risk of embarrassment by throwing a little light their way, by telling them something they need to hear rather than letting them stay where they are in apparent spiritual darkness? And can you do it in love? Point the way, shine the light-- in love?
Do you know someone who is intrigued but skirting around the edges of the Catholic faith? Or someone who at one time had faith and no longer believes? Perhaps a “fallen away” Catholic? Or someone who might be hostile to the Catholic faith because of prejudices and misconceptions? If so, perhaps these next twelve week’s blog postings may help you share the faith with them.
In preparation for the Papal visit on September 22,** I will be posting my personal testimony, Metamorphosis of a Soul. It’s a candid description of what God has done in my own life. It’s my journey into the Catholic faith, chapter-by-chapter, week-by-week. This first week is about the wake up call I received through a friend, and the “Law of graduality”. You can read the chapter to find out exactly what that is and why it is a gift to us from the Church. I pray that if you know someone who may be interested that you will click here to read the chapter and pass it along each week.
You never know...you may be the instrument God uses to change someone’s life. And remember -- “successful evangelization” is this: sharing the love of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leaving the results up to Him.
God bless you, and please pray for this effort. It will be exciting to see what God does in these next 12 weeks.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve...But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God [that is] with me. Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, 10-11
Dear Lord,
Thank You that you can use anyone--including me--to pass along what you have given...You. May I always be looking for new and creative ways to talk about You to others. Make me bold! Make me courageous! Make me like You..doing all things in Love for the glory of the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. Please bring to mind one person (or more) that I can share Your love with in a special way this week. Please bless these efforts at reaching out and touching lives. Please give me the grace to be a “light switch” used by You.
I ask this in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
*If you would like to “meet” the Catholic priest that God used powerfully in my life, friend request Fr. Michael Sliney on Facebook.
** Here is the latest news on the Pope's U.S. schedule: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/vatican-releases-itinerary-for-pope-franciss-u.s.-visit/
