Reminiscing
/In two weeks, my husband and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Jenny has discovered an anniversary memory from 15 years ago. Will you stop for a moment with me at Suscipio today and remember when...
Please Care!
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I am certain that I will remember the night as one that changed my life. At least I hope I will. I hope I will take the stories, the inspirations, the not-at-all-subtle prompting of the Holy Spirit and let them have their way with me.
On the evening of Saturday, August 18, my husband and I attended the Fourth Annual Summer Soiree to benefit Mary’s Shelter. We were invited by a dear friend and looked forward to an evening out and a chance to catch up with some people with whom I correspond frequently but don’t see in person nearly enough. I had heard good things about Mary’s Shelter, so I was eager to learn more about that work, too.
Mary’s Shelter is actually four shelters right now—four lovingly decorated, beautifully comfortable homes for women in crisis pregnancies and their children. In these homes, women who have no place else to go come to be loved while they bring their babies into the world and after the births, while they put their own lives together and step forward with hope. Residents of Mary’s Shelter live in a dignified manner and are expected to rise to the dignity of their surroundings. They are provided with a stable home and abounding support, but they are held accountable, too. They cook and clean, live and love in the homes just as other mothers do in theirs. While they are residents, they work towards acquiring the skills necessary to be employed and support their families. At Mary’s Shelter, they are also provided necessary classes in childbirth and parenting.
A place to call home. We live in the shadow of the most powerful city in the world. Every day, I drive streets lined with big, sturdy trees and brick homes that have housed generations of children who are always fed, well educated, and offered every opportunity to succeed. My travels take me from old, established neighborhoods to a bursting new communities. The trees are not so sturdy, nor are homes all-brick, but the houses are even bigger and the communities where they have sprouted like mushrooms in the rain are full of the promise of young families sure that life will be rich with school and soccer and Saturdays on park swings.
Blessed Mother Teresa said, “I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?”
Do you? Do you know that in the midst of these neighborhoods of plenty there is a woman who is pregnant with twins? She is here on a visa, having survived life as a refugee. She has a loving husband. His visa is Canadian. She is here. He is there. Their babies are growing within her and she has no one, nothing. Except she does. She has the unwavering support of the good women at Mary’s Shelter. She has in Kathleen Wilson, the director, the best advocate a girl could ever pray to have.
I listened in awe at the story of how Kathleen and two of her friends and their husbands hatched an idea to shelter pregnant women in need. I heard how they grew this program of genuine nurturing love, a program so successful and so unique, that people all over the country are sitting up and taking notes and praying hard about taking their model and making it a reality where they live. I was so much more than inspired by the story.
I thought to myself that here in this ministry, the people of Fredericksburg are offered the opportunity to tangibly live the works of mercy. All of them. Mercy lives at Mary’s Shelter. I can’t tell you how much I wanted to be a part of it, to show up, hold a baby, offer encouragement to a mom, help someone get her three-year-old ready for a little sister
Then, I freely admit, a little voice in my head said, “You have nine children at home. People with nine children don’t throw themselves into formidable works of mercy like this one.” That voice was silenced when a woman in the lobby told me that Kathleen has ten children. Ten children of her own. And legal guardianship of two more. And there is room in her life and her heart and her prayers for the mothers and babies sheltered at Mary’s Shelter. She knows her neighbors, knows them well.
It took my husband and I two hours to drive to Fredericksburg that night. Two hours is a fair distance for me to be involved in a ministry on a daily or weekly basis. I don’t know what God wants me to do there. I do know that the stories are burned indelibly on my soul. I also know that while I seek to know my neighbor better—much better—I can help the women of Mary’s Shelter right now. Without moving from this comfortable spot on my couch, I can make a monthly commitment. I can be a very small part of ensuring that the good people of Fredericksburg continue to move mountains to save lives. And I can beg you to do the same. Together, we could make a big difference. These are our neighbors. These are the people God allowed in the midst of our plenty so that we could love them as He does.
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The post above appeared as a column in our diocesan paper and on the web version of that paper. I had high hopes that people would contribute--that people would care. I shared the column on Facebook and Twitter, but I didn't post it here, because I wanted to come here today and share from my heart with my closest online community, the people who read my blog. I wanted you to see more images than would have appeared in the paper. I wanted to be able to talk some more with you in the combox, to share with you how much this matters.
Like so many organizations, Mary’s Shelter is grateful for one time donations. An extra infusion of funds is always welcome. But like any household, things work more smoothly when there is a regular operating budget. The big goal is to have 1000 people donate $20 a month. Twenty dollars a month. Here's where I admit that I have a bit of a local coffee shop green tea habit. About twice a week I order a gigantic iced tea.That's about the extent of my habit. (Honestly, I think it's more about someone with a smile quickly and efficiently doing what I ask;-). I can forego a few cups of iced tea. I can be one more person to get closer to that 1000. I'm told that they have reached about 10% of their goal. Suddenly, my small $20 seems even smaller. We need 900 people to donate to the Fulfill the Promise campaign. Can we begin to make a dent in that here? Now?
Can my blog readers see their neighbors in homeless pregnant women
We cannot say that we're pro-life and then turn away when faced with the nitty gritty details. Those details are the difference. A place to call home, a place to grow comfortably--that's when a young woman begins to see that there is hope. That's when she sees that she does indeed have a choice.
We have to care about the details.
What can you give up so that a new mother who has nothing has a chance to make life better--much, much better--for herself and her children? What can you sacrifice to save a life? Or two?
A monthly donation or a one time infusion of hope?
A day or so after the column appeared last week, someone from Mary’s Shelter wrote to thank me. She told me that two people had contributed as a result of the column. I was crushed. So disappointed. So sad that my words couldn't move more hearts.
A friend told me not to be surprised. She said that when she shares the story of Mary’s Shelter she often is met with disapproval. People actually think that these women have made poor choices in their lives and so they must live what they "deserve."
They deserve dignity.
They deserve mercy.
Those babies deserve love.
and to live.
We are called to love.
We are called to mercy.
Lord, Hear Our Prayer
/Gospel
John 6:60-69
Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said,
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe."
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said,
"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe."
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said,
"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
Think
"We must, each of us, be willing to sacrifice our own will, even at a heavy cost. There is no need to sacrifice one’s health or money or to undergo privations, penances, or extraordinary fasts. The sacrifice that is needed is the sacrifice of the will. Each of us must be equally prepared to preach or to cook, to teach or to sweep, to catechize or to pray, to supervise or to obey. Such an attitude shall obtain God’s blessing on us because then we shall be true, faithful disciples and servants. As Samuel said to Saul, “Does the Lord desire holocausts and victims and not rather that the Voice the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices and to hearken rather than to offer the fat of rams.” We are therefore to hearken and generously follow our superior’s voice, for he represents God and the call of duty. Thus we shall achieve the purpose of our vocation, earn many merits, and save our own souls and those of others."
- Don Bosco
Pray
Dear Lord,
Help me to know your will. Give me the grace and strength to follow it. Please keep me from being distracted or dissuaded.
Act
What is it He calls you to do? To preach or to cook, to teach or to sweep, to catechize or to pray, to supervise or to obey? Whatever it is, do it cheerfully and with your whole heart.
Golf Lessons
/A leading difficulty with the average player is that he totally misunderstands what is meant by concentration. He may think he is concentrating hard when he is merely worrying.
- Bobby Jones
I've always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn't have a chance to win.
- Arnold Palmer
What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive.
- Arnold Palmer
Forget the last shot. It takes so long to accept that you can't always replicate your swing. The only thing you can control is your attitude toward the next shot.
- Mark McCumber
Don't be too proud to take a lesson. I'm not.
- Jack Nicklaus
As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.
- Ben Hogan
One of the most fascinating things about golf is how it reflects the cycle of life. No matter what you shoot - the next day you have to go back to the first tee and begin all over again and make yourself into something.
- Peter Jacobsen
This is a game of misses. The guy who misses the best is going to win.
- Ben Hogan
There is no such thing as a natural touch. Touch is something you create by hitting millions of golf balls.
- Lee Trevino
Of all the hazards, fear is the worst.
- Sam Snead
needle &thREAD
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This week, I listened to Anything by Jennie Allen. One night, the author and her husband prayed "God, we will do anything. Anything," A quick search of typical Catholic morning offerings assured me that I am not alone in thinking that lots of people offer God anything, every single day. Still, I found the book compelling and I'm grateful for it. I admit it got me thinking about the anythings that could be out there. Was I missing God's call? Africa? Costa Rica? A great, big, new ministry? I bounced the idea off a couple friends. They both reminded me that I live my anything every day in the heart of my home. Still, my head buzzes with the possiblity of anything.
I was all set to sew yesterday. I had a few Anna Maria Horner scarf kits I bought last winter to turn into Figure 8 scarves. Browsing my closet, I was pretty tickled to find that they will pull together some ancient clothes to become smashing autumn outfits. Since they were "kits," I figured an afternoon of sewing would offer quick rewards. I laid out the fabric and was dismayed over how much I was going to have to cut to square it all up. Just as I was psyching myself up to do all that cutting, the phone rang. New plan. Off to the pharmacy for an unexpected refill and then to serve dinner to my favorite octegenarians. That's just fine. I'm up for anything. Right now, my anything is focused. I embrace the strong, bear of a man I know as the best father and grandfather a family could ever hope to have and I pour a lifetime of gratitude into loving the frail gentleman he has become. I live the moment and know that the moment holds the day's truest treasure; and it answers His truest call. It is our anything.
Perhaps today I will sew. Perhaps not. I'm up for anything.
What about you? Sewing? Reading? A little of both? Or are you embroidering? Pulling a needle with thread through lovely fabric to make life more beautiful somehow? Would you share with us just a single photo (or more) and a brief description of what you're up to? Will you tell us about what you're reading, also? Would you talk sewing and books with us? I'd love that so much.
Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your blog post or your specific Flickr photo and not your main blog URL or Flickr Photostream. Please be sure and link to your current needle and thREAD post below in the comments, and not a needle and thREAD post from a previous week. If you don't have a blog, please post a photo to the needle & thREAD group at Flickr.
Include a link back to this post in your blog post or on your flickr photo page so that others who may want to join the needle and thREAD fun can find us! Feel free to grab a button here (in one of several colors) so that you can use the button to link:-).
