It’s interesting how many times throughout the day I think “Oh, wow, I should put that in the blog.” but when I sit down to summarize and reevaluate the day within the purpose of this project I begin to see they day sort of meld together into the masterpiece He created.
There was a reoccurring observance throughout the day…I ran into women who seemed ‘stripped’…stripped of patience, stripped of purpose, stripped of worth, stripped of fulfillment, and stripped of joy. It wasn’t that I had conversations with any of them, it was an observance but one that I could feel God specifically calling my attention to.
By the time I made it to Catholics Returning Home this evening I was a little perplexed as to what it was God wanted me to get from the day and these observations that left me longing to say or do something for these women. That’s when I met a man that decided to join us late in the Catholics Returning Home series. He was a pleasant and warm older gentleman that had no qualms in honesty. Within a few minutes of having met him he explained that he’d been away from the church for many years and had recently gotten divorced a few years ago and his ex-wife was not Catholic so that was why it was easy for him to have stayed away. But out of nowhere one day he was driving by the church and felt a ‘pull’ to drive into the parking lot and go inside the church. He said he walked in, sat in the back pew…and cried.
Stunned by his honesty and secretly rejoicing in how the Holy Spirit continues to actively guide us where we need to go, I assured him he was in the right place and then the other members began to roll into class. It is what this man said next that I know it is what was meant for those women who seemed ‘stripped’ today…if you are reading this, it’s for you:
In further explaining his call, the man said: “In winter, when a tree is stripped of it’s leaves, it relies on its roots.”
Sometimes we get brought down to our bare minimum in order to refocus on Him. All I know is that it killed me to see these women this way and I want them to know that all they have to do is say the word and I’m praying!
Oh, and I ended the evening with Neal and I visiting a friend that flew in for a business trip. We’d met him and his wife on our honeymoon (they got married same day as us) and we’ve been close friends ever since even though they live in Utah. Anyway, the connection that remains after nearly 14 years is a blessing.
(Plus I told him I’d mention him in the blog…so there you go! MUAH love ya!)
Blessings
Shannon