Grace – Anchored To Grace

“Mom, I have decided I am going to become Catholic.”

When I heard those words, my daughter and I were at work in our small garden. Preparing the spring soil for autumn’s harvest, under the warmth of the sun, her words awaited my reply. My options (and opinions) were vast, but I could only choose one response.

“God? What do I say?”

And though the voice in my head sounded exactly like John Lynch[1], I believe the words came from the heart of the Father: “It’s more important she knows that you love her than she knows you’re right.”[2] Without hesitation, I told my daughter her choice would not cause us to love her any less. Her response confirmed God’s truth and the trustworthiness of His wisdom. My daughter had feared her decision could revoke our acceptance, but love grows stronger in a garden of grace.

Continue reading “The Garden”

We come into the world with eyes open to everything new around us. In an instant we go from dark to light and spend our first years seeing with innocent eyes. As we grow, nature and nurture create the “lenses” through which we see the world. Some are a part of our biology, our internal wiring. Others come through the time and place God ordains for us. Still others are formed out of experiences, choices, and situations often out of our control.

These lenses affect our thinking, our behavior, our emotions, and our faith. We “see” God and others through lenses that result from living in a fallen world. Because each of us is unique, we sometimes find ourselves looking at the same things but seeing very different realities. This often leads to conflict, suspicion, and misunderstanding. A relationship with God is a very private journey lived out in a very public world. If we are threatened by someone having beliefs different from ours, it can be easy to judge or dismiss them. Even worse, it can be easy to insult or ridicule them. Unless we are being personally attacked or affected by another’s beliefs, why do our differences create distance between us? What are we afraid of?

Continue reading “Lenses”