Image credit: Pixabay.com (2016), CC0/PD[/caption]
My twelve-year-old son is depressed and suffers from anxiety. Sadly, we were in an abusive situation and now he is a child of divorce and has been for four years now.
I tried my very best, with Our Lord’s help, to create a domestic church even if his father wasn’t a practicing Catholic. Due to the pain we both caused my son, for the last year I could tell he was becoming detached from Our Lord.
He had questions about God, suffering and many others. I answered the best I could or found the answer. A couple of months ago he told me he was an atheist. The Holy Spirit took over because my response was calm. Basically, I said that I would respect his decision and I would expect the same respect from him as well.
He goes to Mass and participates. He’s gone to Adoration with me twice, voluntarily, so I know God is working. However, I am human and am grieving this reality.
So last Friday I took the day off and ended up at my new parish’s bookstore. I had not yet been able to visit there and was curious, so I stopped by and was immersed in the calm and beauty.
It is a small bookstore, so you can hear conversations that are taking place. My ears perked up when I heard a lady sharing about a life-changing event for teens. She was on fire explaining all the fruits of this ministry. I couldn’t help myself and crept next to her as she was sharing with the store clerk.
Once she finished, I began asking questions and had a nice hopeful conversation.
I shared what was going on with my son and she encouraged me to go and eventually gave me her contact information so that maybe I could help in some way, she was one of the coordinators.
I left the store with a leap in my step and with much peace and hope. I made the decision that my son and I would go, God willing. It is in November so much can happen between now and then.
This encounter was not a coincidence; God is not one for coincidences. I believe this was a beautiful gift from God, who knows that I needed to know there is hope for my son.
He is begging me not to give up, and I won’t, because He wants me to persevere. I know that this event, ABLAZE, is not a magical solution and may not change a thing. However, I believe God has a plan and I must trust.
And for now, that’s enough for me.
Have you heard of ABLAZE?
Copyright 2019 Elizabeth Estrada
About the Author
.png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)"){kind=logo}
Comments