I am proud to be Catholic. There is no doubt about it. I offer no excuses nor do I wear it like a badge of honor for only the few select. The Sacraments of the Catholic church fuel my faith and, for me, allow me the gift to bring the love of Christ to all those I come in contact.
The beauty of Hopeful Hearts is that I don’t discriminate. We work with the spiritually and emotionally wounded regardless of what belief system they come from. Yes, it is my desire for the love of Christ to show through me in everything I do. But my mission is to bind up the wounded hearts, be His love to them in order for them to recognize their worth. It is not my mission to convert souls to a religion or a specific Christian denomination. But I do believe faith is the key to freedom.
I bring this up because I’ve dealt with different situations where I’ve lost out on a speaking engagement due to being Catholic. That hurts. Especially when it was a Christian church. I’ve also had comments from those who read the blog recognizing that I allow posts from others who are not of the Catholic faith. However, it is clear I’m gearing toward one goal and that is to spread awareness of the truth that lies behind abuse.
The fact remains that those who have been abused come from diverse backgrounds and belief systems and God has laid on my heart, as a survivor of abuse, to work with other survivors to recognize the abuse they have suffered, to learn to talk about what has been done, recognize they are not alone and overcome living a victimized life. Yes I believe those who can recognize and turn to faith in God will be more apt to succeed in knowing their worth because they would know the power of His saving love, but it doesn’t keep me from working with everyone.
My other goal is to speak to groups (1/4 of which would no doubt be survivors of abuse if statistics are correct) and educate and spread awareness on the topic of abuse, how to help your loved one heal, possibly prevent it from happening in your family and breaking the cycle.
God is defining my mission. He has set me on a path that began over 12 years ago and I was blessed to have begun within my Catholic faith. That will never leave me and it is through speaking on my faith across the country and working with teens and young adults that has formed me with the knowledge and abilities that I needed to do what I’m being called to do today.
A few years ago I had tried to pull off a video segment of Just Show Up where people would write in and I would respond to their inquiries through a YouTube video. An ‘Ann Landers’ sort of advice column if you will. I received quite a few responses and questions for a few months and then it died down. They are all still up on YouTube and available through on the ‘Shannon’s Advice Column’ under the blog section on my website. Actually, I miss doing this so if you have a question for me send it my way! I’d love to add a few more videos to the Advice Column. 😉
One young woman wrote in seeking advice about this struggle choosing a ‘denomination’ that best feeds her in her Christian walk.
Seeking (the original question and response via YouTube)
It is always a joy to have those that have written in and follow up. This young woman, Kaitlyn, wrote the following:
I hope you are doing well! I just wanted to take some time and share with you the rest of my story. I have been happily Catholic for four and a half months now. 😀 I have attached the letter since it turned out to be a bit long. It is written especially for you, since you have been praying for me from the beginning. (Thank you!) And if you deem it worthy of sharing, I have also intended it for your readers who followed the original posts. Thank you also for watching my talk that I sent. It is a blessing to share this journey with you. May God continue to shower you with His love.
Her letter is beautiful and it is more of a look into her personal conversation with Christ. I will share some of it with you today in hopes that it will encourage you in your own walk of faith:
Jesus has given all of Himself. Held nothing back. So we must give all of ourselves.
Give me a heart to serve the poor. How amazing to see just what you’ll do if my whole life is given back to you. Every breath, every struggle, to build something that lasts. To lay down what I have, to hold the world in my heart. I am united to You on the Cross. I can take part in Your life. I am your hands. I am your feet. I love you Lord. Focusing with every ounce of my being on the only Thing that Satisfies – the LOVE that conquered the universe. What beauty will emerge when I surrender myself to that love?
It was a Thursday, the Feast of St. Lucy, a martyr. God finally allowed me to recognize him. To see Him in the Eucharist. To see Him in the breaking of the Bread. It wasn’t so much a voice from Heaven as an indirect understanding. Before Mass, I had walked to the student center to turn in my rented books and a friend of mine who plays flute with me in band was working the desk. And instead of talking solely about her and finding out about her semester, I selfishly invited her to my flute choir concert. The invite itself I suppose was not selfish, but the motive was. I finally realized what a source of pride music had become. I scrambled to play with a ton of groups and for what? To prove I am better than someone else? That’s NOT the point. I also realized that I had been suppressing and ignoring this fact. I consciously realized that no matter what I do, I cannot root out this evil in myself. I need an antidote, a medicine for my soul. Ah – The Eucharist. I realized now just how badly I need it! I cannot heal myself. God wants to take the thorns and thistles I hold onto and give me roses! First I must have the thorns removed (cough, cough, Reconciliation!) so then I have my thorns to offer in Mass. They are burned up on the Alter of God’s Love. Then Christ gives me Roses. Beautiful Rose, Himself in the Eucharist!
(By the way, when all of this came together in my mind during Mass, I totally lost it! I was bawling in the middle of Mass, with plenty of people curiously glancing my way…)
I am joining the Catholic Church because… I am a part of the Body of Christ. Really and Truly. What I do affects the whole Body. My relationship with God is not individualistic. My sin wounds and my prayers heal. The Eucharist effects this bond. It is a real, physical bond. This is beyond what my brain can comprehend. It requires faith. But I know that it is beautiful.
Lord, I do not love others as I should. Place Your Love directly in my heart. Make Your heart my own. Eucharist. The seed of love, firmly planted, to grow and bear fruit for eternity. Jesus I love you. I trust you. I know you are real.
God bless all of you for your continued support and love in what I’ve been called to do through Hopeful Hearts Ministry. We are all on a journey and with each road taken every mile passed gets us closer to achieving our purpose.
By the way the injections went well yesterday! So grateful for the prayers. I actually ended up with the same nurse that took care of me 6 years ago when my appendix ruptured. Can you believe? I was in Kingwood Hospital for 8 days when that happened and she helped me get back on my feet. Yesterday I had my shots done in The Woodlands (30 miles away) so for us to meet again was simply a God thing. 😉 And good too because she held my hand while they put the IV in!!
Enjoy this gorgeous day!
Blessings
Shannon