Yes, a Van Morrison song can get me hyped up, crazed, dazed and distracted; he can also put me in a temporary dreamily romant state aka trance-like mode that can get me to act in a rather irrational, wistful, dreamy, perplexed way… a state so intense as to cause a transient loss of sanity! Oops…I think I’m over-expressing my emotions. 🙂 Thank goodness the song only lasts a few minutes…hahaha.
Very rarely in life does one encounter a situation that places a significant impact in such a way that which forevermore shall strengthen our innermost nature and integrate the fragmented aspects of ourselves. This may very well come into being although not on a frequent basis, but we will, however at one point, be hit in the face by unfamiliar life’s challenge that requires careful confronting. The manner that we maneuver and approach every challenge may either produce a new layer of character or it may take us to the opposite direction and dread it.
I assume that everyone has heard the old adage that goes something like this:
“The beginning of love is to let those we love be just themselves, and not twist them with our own image – otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”
Partly based on this compelling statement, I will not change my religion to marry someone I love. A dear friend of mine articulated it so well, quote, One could not possibly expect a future spouse to change their preferences, beliefs, character just to please their partner. So true. People just need to be themselves and respect each other’s differences, endquote.
But if the question is reversed in such a way like this one: “Will I marry someone who has a different religion than I am?” Absolutely! Not to trivialize it, being Catholic is very important to me; this is my faith, and everything in it and what it truly stands for is the driving force of who I am, but it doesn’t limit me or diminish my ability to bear exponential fruits for the sake of His kingdom as long as my actions are in loving conformity with the Church, and don’t in any way degrade my self-worth, dignity and value as a human being based on the standards set by our Creator. Of course it will be icing on the cake if we could journey together in this regard with mutual respect, love and admiration for each other’s individualism and the legacy that we adopt that shape the type of person that we have become. To choose to follow someone else’s faith is very personal and distinct. It takes God’s grace to be more receptive and open-minded to see things for what they really are, openness to explore rational possibilities, courage to humbly accept the path where God is leading us no matter how inconvenient it may seem, and embark on another dimension in a rather unconventional way, and consider options we never knew existed that are based on truths and not on relativistic ideals. Above all, we have to desire it; we must allow ourselves to create an avenue that would intensify that hunger for truth and authenticity, keep the fire burning within and take revel in it.
A God Of Surprises by Teresa Magat
Do we realize that God always comes to the rescue through the hard times? Do we fail to give hats off to God when we know for a fact that He did bail us out from unfortunate circumstances, mishaps and adversities that we find non co-existent with our “comfortable lifestyle?” Do we also find it quite unusual to be trapped in a predicament and then our loving God just bases the showers of His blessings with abundance and overflowing fullness as if pouring out a blessing so great that we won’t have enough room to take it in? That’s my God! An awesome God who is full of surprises and who never ceases to amaze me…a friend who shows-off at the right time, playful, quirky, my mojo kind of a cool guy that infuses my life with meaning, tenderness and love. I’d like to share a not so recent example with you…
Two years ago, a few months before my father’s passing, I had this strange dream that included me, my two sisters, and a strikingly odd and unusual character in it who I thought at the time was the most incredible man I have ever had the pleasure to set eyes on, with the most unbelievable blue eyes I’ve ever seen! He had a deep, solemn voice…this guy was so beautiful that he shines through in his deeds and his words. Well, as you can imagine, three sisters were trying their best to grab this guy’s sole attention. Either because I took ownership of this dream or was simply pure luck, I managed to draw the guy’s interest in an instance. While having a one on one interaction with this mysterious man, he made me feel how special I was as if I was the most important person in the entire universe; he looked at me with so much gentleness and utmost respect as if I were the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world, and above all, he made me feel how loved I was. As I was at the peak of these emotions, and excited to “boast” such an encounter with my now “jealous” sisters, I cut short my time with the guy and slipped out of the conversation, only to find my sisters having had the same powerful moment with the mysterious guy at the same time. This guy made us all feel special imparting that no one is better than another.
I woke up with tears streaming down my cheeks for the gratitude and grace of this spontaneous experience of God’s love, and for the few minutes to enjoy it even if it was only a dream; a dream that was so vivid that I remember instantly without a shadow of a doubt that the guy who I thought was so perfect in all aspects was Jesus Himself, who loves me and my sisters all the same. Every now and then, I do something brilliant in a sense that I beg our Lord to visit me in my dreams. This night was one of those times that I literally made a true-hearted invocation, to let me know that I am not forsaken and that none of us really have to ride the train alone.
Then a few months later, my dad passed away. It was one of the saddest days of my life, but it was also the most uplifting moment because I have never felt so loved by God in my entire life. It took me a few seconds to realize the meaning of my dream a few months back. Yes, I understand that not everyone will regard this as a manifestation of divine intervention. But that is the beauty of journeying with our Lord; the relationship is uniquely personal with His trademark that is usually recognizable. Suddenly, I felt cherished and soothed, even though I still felt sad. Jesus felt so close. I felt as though I had just experienced a divine kiss—like the kisses from the Groom to His bride. I am amazed of His love for me with such breathless joy and struggle to grasp that He actually delights in me. I felt as though I was entering a door opened up just for me… that’s how special I am to my Beloved, and so are you! His presence gave me the confidence to face another day.
justlovinglife 