Limbo

I am feeling like I am in 'limbo'.  No, not the "Limbo Rock" ... "how low can you go" made famous by Chubby Checkers (although teenage and college years I did very well; not so much any more). 

Limbo - like Purgatory on Earth.  The in between places or phases of our life.  It's the area where we end one chapter of our life and are on the blank space or page before the next chapter begins.  I think this is where God is helping me grow and mature in both faith and being, preparing me for my next phase of life; giving me the 'faith upgrade'.  The only problem: I am missing the 'Important Global Consumer Support Information' booklet.

I guess this is why I call this phase 'Limbo'.  It is where God is asking me to rely on His Divine Providence, pray His Holy Word, listen for His voice, and rely less on the sensual and worldly views.  But this is where it gets difficult.  I feel like I have the good angel (in white, of course) on one shoulder telling me to pray and trust in God and the bad angel (in red, no less) on the other shoulder telling me to rely on myself and make the move.  My choice and path depends on which voice I listen and heed.  Do I listen to the voice of Truth (the Angel in white) or do I listen to the voice of lies (angel in red)?  

The song 'The Voice of Truth' by Casting Crowns sums it up well:

Oh what I would do to have                                                                                              The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in                                                   Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone                                                                                     To the realm of the unknown where Jesus is                                                           And He's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me                             Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed                                    The waves they keep on telling me                                                                         Time and time again. 'Boy, you'll never win!' "You'll never win"

But the voice of Truth tells me a different story                                                           And the voice of Truth says "Do not be afraid!"                                                            And the voice of Truth says "This is for My glory"                                                           Out of all the voices calling out to me                                                                             I will choose to listen and believe the voice of Truth

God is preparing me for my next chapter in life; my faith upgrade.  Do I trust Him or do I put my faith in myself?God's plan is perfect; my plan is based on false assumptions.  I need to step outside my comfort zone and into God's arms, praying and listening to His Word, and the voice of Truth.  Only then, will I be prepared to take the next steps in life for Him.

A Holy Family

I received this description of a holy family during our family reunion. Like many families, ours is one in turmoil right now...one of my siblings is going through a divorce. Not only does this divorce affect their lives, but it also affects the lives of the families to whom they are close.

I loved what this had to say and I thought I would share it. It is written by Fr. Scott Detisch.


What Makes a Holy Family?

Would you consider your family holy? You might be inclined to answer immediately: 'No way! We argue too much. We have too many problems and issues. Plus, we aren't spiritual enough.' People who would respond in this vein are equating holiness with perfection. But that is not what holiness is about. Holiness is a lifelong process of striving to live more and more in sync with God. It means being grasped by the love of God in such a way that we desire to be the persons God has made us to be. Yet, we recognize that we will stumble and bumble along the way to becoming those persons.

All the great holy ones in our Church - the Saints - stumbled and bumbled along the way. Look at St. Peter and all of the Apostles. They denied and abandoned Jesus at His hour of deat; yet they eventually surrendered their lives to what the love of God called forth from them. This did not happen all at once. It took years to unfold. The same is true with us and with our families.

Our families may not seem as if they are holy, but if we are truly opening ourselves up to what God has called us to be, then our families are holy because we are allowing the process of surrendering to God to unfold. What could help our families open up more to the process of holiness? Here are a few suggestions:

• Pray together as a family before meals
• Parents: talk with your children about your own experiences of God and Christ as a real presence and power in your life. Encourage your children's questions and wonder about the things of God
• Celebrate the Eucharist every week with the larger parish family as a way of receiving what Christ offers to every member of the family; love, forgiveness, wisdom, challenge, strength, hope, healing, and joy
• Have family night every week to share what is going on in each person's life and also to have some fun together and delight in each other. [Parents: this might mean having to say 'no' to your children's requests to be involved in everything that interests them.]
• Adopt some form of service to the needs of others as a year-long family venture
• Adopt language of affection, support, and forgiveness in the home. Do not hesitate to use the powerful words: 'I love you,' 'I am sorry,' 'You are forgiven,' 'You can tell me anything,' 'You are wonderful.' Our children begin to live the words they hear from us.

Please note: there is NO feast of the Perfect Family!