I started this blog as a way to process elimination of my position as the Respect Life Coordinator at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. I certainly have had my ups and downs in trying to deal with the shock, separation, feeling of betrayal and anger. I have enjoyed writing this blog and others seem to enjoy reading it.
The thing is - for every bump in my life - I know God has brought me through to healing. Sometimes that healing has taken years as when my infant son died of SIDS and sometimes a situation changes and it is more easy to move on.
Most all of the time I would say that everyone is healing, growing and moving on.
We are on the cusp of Christmas and as I celebrate the coming of the Christ child and his new(renewed) life. I realize it is time for me to renew my life also.
The hurts and pain and dysfunction of my old place of work is still there but I need to enter into the next phase of what God's plan is for me. The reality is that moving on and transition is messy. As I contemplate the manger scene this Christmas I realize that Christ came into a messy place. It certainly wasn't perfect, being born into a place full of manure, hay and stinky animals. Mary had diapers to change too. Life is messy but into this messiness - love was born. And so it needs to be with my own heart.
I have accepted a position teaching middle school religion at Bethlehem Academy Catholic High School here in Faribault. It is a temporary long term sub position and I am not sure if teaching is where I am called to be long term but I hope that being with these young people will help me remember the enthusiasm and trust I once felt so freely. It is probably no coincidence that God has led me (at least for now) to a place called Bethlehem.
In my discernment of the last few months I also found a call to continue to speak and write on Catholic topics especially topics that deal with healing. I think this blog has been a good start on speaking honestly about the healing process and God's hand in it. I will launch the website soon.
I will be continuing to blog but under a new title - Glorified Wounds. I came up with the title invoking the image of St. Thomas probing the wounds of Christ before he could believe. It has always puzzled me why Christ returned after the resurrection with wounds on his glorified body. He didn't need them, but others needed to see them to believe. In this way his wounds were no longer shameful, they became a source of hope and faith for others. We all have wounds and sometimes we get stuck in the pain of our wounds, but if we can see God's work in our pain we can live our lives with joy and without shame.
Life is all about learning and loving and I plan to keep doing both.
I want to thank everyone who has been encouraging me and reading my blog. Please follow my new blog. http://glorifiedwounds.blogspot.com/2014/12/i-am-starting-new-blog.html
Your prayers have been essential.
I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and look for more about me in the New Year!
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