Something like a million kids in the world have lost one of their parents. A million more have probably come close.
I've never experienced anything like they have. Sure, I've had the worries about my mom when she's travelling alone, and the fears that my dad will die in a car accident while away on a business trip--but nothing solid. Nothing real.
The monday of this week, a teenager on my block lost his mom. He's named Dan. I haven't ever been real friends with Dan, or Danny as we used to call him. Our hanging out was just in a group of neighborhood kids where we'd play games like "Capture the Flag", "Around the House", and "Seven Steps". My family was never very close to his family. Tonight, though, we attended the wake for his mom because they are our neighbors.
Realization of how fragile life is hit me square in the face. You really don't realize it--the fact that every breath is so extremely special (if you do, I applaud you). The fact that you take life for granted every day, as its so normal.
I cannot imagine how Dan is feeling. Of course, I can remember some times, like when I lost my grandpa, that I felt extremely sad, but I'm sure that it doesn't compare. How must that feel--to lose your mom when you've only had her for eighteen years?
It just makes me value the family I have and the life I've got. I'm sure to forget, but for now I'm going to put every effort into appreciating how special and beautiful life is. My life, your life, any life. Human life in particular.
If you could pray for Dan, I would really appreciate it.
-Tina
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
You Called and You Shouted!
Isn't that what Lent is all about? God calling us?
I'm a Catholic and proud of it. As I get older, I've been trying to dive deeper into the meaning of what Lent actually is. When I was little I thought it was a torture device designed to torment young children by forcing them to give up stuff. Yeah, not really.
Lent in a sentence is basically denying ourselves material things in order to make ourselves remember to reach out to God.
People can get so caught up in every day life that they forget to talk to God. I usually don't reach out to God on a regular, through the day basis, and I'm guessing that most other people don't either. They reach out at specific times, like when they're in Church, or else when they're in trouble. Not usually when everything is going great.
The idea of Lent is to give up something that holds a regular pattern in their life so that, when they come to the point in their day when they would usually do/say/whatever the thing, they remember to talk to God, and probably ask him for his help in fasting. I'm fasting in between meals this year and I know that it helps me to remember.
HOWEVER: Many people seem to think that Lent is only about fasting- not so much about the reaching. I can get to a point where the fasting becomes regular and I forget to reach. That's not so good at ALL.
All throughout the Bible, God is calling for his people to return to justice and goodness-- to return to Him! He says so many times in the Bible that it is absolutely useless to offer Him sacrifices if they are not going to obey His law and show him their love.
I see fasting as the sacrifice. It's great-- but it's useless without the reaching, the striving to grow closer to God and gain purity of heart.
This Lent, I challenge you: don't just fast and forget about it. The whole point of this season is to grow closer to God through suffering (that's when we reach, right?). The fasting is pointless is you're not trying to love.
-Tina
I'm a Catholic and proud of it. As I get older, I've been trying to dive deeper into the meaning of what Lent actually is. When I was little I thought it was a torture device designed to torment young children by forcing them to give up stuff. Yeah, not really.
Lent in a sentence is basically denying ourselves material things in order to make ourselves remember to reach out to God.
People can get so caught up in every day life that they forget to talk to God. I usually don't reach out to God on a regular, through the day basis, and I'm guessing that most other people don't either. They reach out at specific times, like when they're in Church, or else when they're in trouble. Not usually when everything is going great.
The idea of Lent is to give up something that holds a regular pattern in their life so that, when they come to the point in their day when they would usually do/say/whatever the thing, they remember to talk to God, and probably ask him for his help in fasting. I'm fasting in between meals this year and I know that it helps me to remember.
HOWEVER: Many people seem to think that Lent is only about fasting- not so much about the reaching. I can get to a point where the fasting becomes regular and I forget to reach. That's not so good at ALL.
All throughout the Bible, God is calling for his people to return to justice and goodness-- to return to Him! He says so many times in the Bible that it is absolutely useless to offer Him sacrifices if they are not going to obey His law and show him their love.
I see fasting as the sacrifice. It's great-- but it's useless without the reaching, the striving to grow closer to God and gain purity of heart.
This Lent, I challenge you: don't just fast and forget about it. The whole point of this season is to grow closer to God through suffering (that's when we reach, right?). The fasting is pointless is you're not trying to love.
-Tina
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