Translating a World on the Edge

Children are vulnerable to mistreatment. Amazingly, often the mistreatment is from their own parents. Of course, children don’t stay children, they grow into adults carrying the mistreatment with them. Sometimes, they grow into adults with no self-worth, or angry thoughts that they set into action by hurting someone else. Violence and mistreatment in childhood has a lifetime legacy. What is the solution to this?

There will always be parents who abuse their children in one way or another. And in doing so, they are abusing society as well, because how can we expect a little child to have knowledge that they are loved if they never see or feel that love? If a child is shouted at, told he’s stupid, or ugly, or worth nothing then isn’t that how he/she will see herself as an adult–unless someone changes his or her impression. And where would a change like that come from in such a threatening environment?

Children deal with stress the same way it’s dealt with in their families, and too many times that way is violence–between husband and wife, and parents to child. But there are some who can step in and change this: Exposure to friends and their ‘normal’ families, teachers, counselors, and churches who support a mistreated child.

Of course, the fact that some children are born to good parents, and others to awful ones, is not fair. Our world is not fair because it is a world of human beings–fallible human beings. The only true fairness comes from God–the reason why churches must reach out to these little ones.

This first video is a MUST watch. It’s a bit long, so if you can’t watch it now, save it for later.
The second video that follows has lots to say through music.

morguefile.com

In the interviews I’ve been privileged to have, I’m often asked about my Faith Journey. Each of us has one. As we travel through life our faith either increases, or doesn’t increase. Or maybe it’s like a stone wall, just sitting there, never budging because we don’t think about it.

We ought to think about it though. At one time or another, our closets need straightening, lists of “things-to-do” need to be made, and certain people in our lives need specific attention. We sometimes forget that we need attention, too.

After we’ve gone on vacation, we usually assess the trip that we took. Assessing our Faith Journey is similar. We need to look back to see where we’ve been. We need to look at ourselves—really look—to see where we are, and then forward to see where we’re going.

My faith journey began in my family, in Dothan where I was born, and where there were few Catholics, so we stood out. Specifically, it began with my mother and grandmother. They were the Catholics in my family to start with. My father and grandfather were Protestants who later converted to Catholicism. In fact, I was confirmed the same time as my grandfather. He was 62 and I was 9.

For the first five years of my life, we lived with my grandparents. My mother was just out of her teens when I was born, and my father had returned from WWII, so my grandmother was definitely in charge, and she was a woman of great faith. She was from Macon, Georgia and in her family were many vocations. Her sister was a Mercy nun and five of her nieces and nephews were priests and nuns — three Jesuit priests, two Sisters of Mercy and two Dominican sisters. One of those Jesuits, Fr. Anthony Benedetto, taught me at Spring Hill when I was there. In fact, he literally wrote the book for one of my required Theology courses—“Fundamentals in the Philosophy of God.”

But in Dothan, Catholics were often thought of as strange, even non-Christian. So we had to stand up for our faith, which meant we had to know it. So my faith journey began there, in having to defend my faith. When you have to defend something, you grow to love it even more.

When I entered Spring Hill College at 17, I was really amazed that everyone around me was Catholic. It was such a welcomed change. So my faith journey continued at Spring Hill, inspired by the many Jesuits I encountered and by some faith-filled students. I also met my husband there. We’ve been married for 47 years, have five children and nine grandchildren. And that itself is a journey of faith!

The struggles I went through in my particular life were/are part of the journey. I learn from them. I understand that God is with me throughout them. He doesn’t take my struggles away, still He is there.

God sends particular people to us on our Faith Journey. Oddly enough I learned how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through a Protestant, a beautiful girl who happened to be Jackson County Alabama’s Maid of Cotton. I was in charge of religion classes for the teens at St. Jude in Scottsboro, and often brought in speakers from other faiths. She came when I asked. Of course, the boys were impressed with her looks, but inside she was just as lovely. She talked about her own relationship with Jesus as if he was her best friend.

So I would say, look for the landmarks in your own faith journey and strengthen them. No matter how trivial they may at first seem, those milestones are there; and God-sent just for you.

He is your God.

He is my God.

And He loves us enough to have sacrificed His son for each of us.