Change Again?
We continued on as devout Catholics throughout our marriage and made every effort to raise our children to know and love the Lord. In 2003 we moved from Woodbridge to a small town north of the City called Beeton. After living there for a year we met a lovely family across the street who also homeschooled their five children. When we first met, I asked if they were Catholic and they responded no, we're born again believers. I immediately thought, oh no....not those people....they're whacky. But this family seemed nice and so I proceeded to ask what exactly does it mean to be a born again believer. My neighbour, always ready with scripture opened her Bible and showed me the reference from John 3:3 "Jesus answered him, "Trully, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." She then went on to explain the passage. I was fascinated. She seemed so wise in her understanding of scripture.
Needless to say we became very close with our new "born again" friends and our difference in beliefs did not hinder the relationship. My husband and I were always fascinated by the evangelical preachers on the radio and on television. We thoroughly enjoyed the expository teaching of scripture that seemed to be missing at the Catholic churches we attended. Angelo and I were at a place in our life that we wanted more, we needed to be fed some meat. Thankfully, God provided us with mature believers (our neighbours) to help guide us along the way. Our friends never really challenged or put down our beliefs but they certainly encouraged us to read and study scripture for ourselves. I had never really studied scripture before. So I began with the book of Matthew and worked my way through to Revelation. It was during this time that God was changing me again (and Angelo too). It was like the Bible came alive and was speaking directly to my heart.
I want to quickly add here that our neighbours truly lived out 1 Peter 3:15, "but in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect". As we began to study scripture, you can imagine we had tons of questions and were often confused. Our neighbours were always prepared to give an answer and they did it with gentleness and respect, even if it meant that it would challenge our Catholic beliefs. Their love for God's word and His truth was something I had never seen before. They had so many study resources, apologetics material, etc. that God used in a mighty way in our lives. We should all live out 1 Peter 3:15!
Not Just Another Sunday School Lesson
Moving along then......God was working on our hearts! Through the study of scripture, the help of good mature believers and by using several other people and circumstances in our life, God was making it very clear we needed to move on. Angelo and I both felt heavily convicted that our Catholic journey was coming to an end. But how could we leave? Is this really what God wanted from us? What would our families think? What would our children think? We had a solution! Catholics have a Saturday evening mass at 5:00 p.m. We could attend that Saturday mass and then attend a Sunday service at an evangelical church. What a fantastic plan! Not! That fantastic plan lasted only about 2 or 3 weeks. We started attending a local evangelical church service in Beeton while still continuing to attend mass on Saturdays. Our children experienced Sunday school for the first time and loved it! They actually loved going to Church! They kept asking when were we going to go back to "that" church. Well that very same Sunday school was instrumental in our final decision. The next week or so, after Sunday service, my first born Alessia told me about what she had learned in Sunday school. The lesson was on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace. Of course I had never read this story in the Old Testament before and did not have a clue what it was about. She explained it to me in detail and then I read her take home page from Church. Here is a quick summary of this passage I found online from the about.com website if you are not familiar with it:
As was common at the time, King Nebuchadnezzar built a huge golden image and commanded all the people to fall down and worship it whenever they heard the sound of his musical herald. Anyone who failed to bow and worship the image would be thrown into an immense, blazing furnace.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were determined to worship the One true God only, and thus were reported to the king. Courageously they stood before him as the kind pressured the men to deny their God. They said, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18, ESV)
My very smart child then asked, mommy why do we have statues in our home when the Bible says we are not to bow down to statues. Alessia was old enough to know a lot about our Catholic traditions. We had huge statues in our home and even a mini altar complete with candles and incense. And we often bowed down in front of the statues and prayed. My daughter was confused. All I could say to her was, "that's a good question - let me talk to daddy about that". Angelo and I decided that very day that we would not confuse our children this way. We had to make a decision once and for all. This was probably one of the toughest decisions we have ever had to make. To deny the very essence of our faith, culture and upbringing, the only faith we had ever known. So many people often say what's the difference between Catholics and other Christian denominations. We all believe in Jesus and the Bible and God, etc. All I can say is that there is a very big difference and over the period of one year, God revealed those differences to us through His word. We were caught up in traditions and rituals and as much as I loved God as a Catholic I still often felt like He was distant. Reading scripture taught me that God loves me, though I am an unworthy sinner He longs to be in relationship with me through His son Jesus Christ. Halleluiah! This is what I had truly longed for and now I had it....an intimate relationship with the Creator of the Universe!
So this is how Jesus changed my life for a second time. Of course there is also a third and fourth and fifth time.....He is constantly renewing my mind and transforming me from the inside out. I praise God for sanctification! 1 Thessalonians 4:3a "For this is the will of God, your sanctification."
My prayer is that you would seek God with all your heart and that He would reveal Himself to you in a very real and magnificent way for His glory alone. He is so worthy!
Amen
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