"God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love" - 2 Timothy 1:7
Watching the news lately, it would be easy to succumb to fear. It's a natural first reaction when innocent people lose their lives so suddenly and violently.
As I watched the story from Paris and the reaction unfold, a sense of unease set it. All of this circle the wagons talk just didn't seem right -- or Christian. Then I remembered the above verse from 2 Timothy.
And this one from Matthew 6: "And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?"
And Isaiah 41:10, "Do not fear, for I am with you."
And for the pop culture philosophers out there, from Yoda himself: "Fear is the path to the dark side."
As the news keeps coming and borders tighten, fear seems the easier path. Fear of another attack. Fear of refugees. Fear of Muslims. We cannot give in to the hysteria of that fear. Fear is not of God.
When we spread fear, we are playing the same game as the terrorists. Fr. Frederico Lombardi, Vatican Spokesman said it well in the National Catholic Reporter: "These murderers, possessed by a senseless hatred, are called ‘terrorists’ precisely because they want to spread terror. If we let ourselves be frightened, they will have already reached their first objective."
Instead, God asks us to be strong and to love. God's love is not schmaltzy or weak. He didn't give us the spirit of doormats. God's love means we look at each other as created in his image. Gods love, when reflected in us, has the power to change even the most difficult situations.
Our town is home to a number of refugee families from the Middle East. My contact with them has been limited, but I can offer two images:
One is a man in my German class. He is intelligent, friendly and hard working. He is often one of the first ones to answer questions and reminds everyone to speak in German instead of their native language. He knows he will have to learn the language to work and create a better life.
Another are the people we walk past each Sunday on our way to Mass. One or two will kneel on the hard cobblestones with a hat upturned. Their posture is striking and makes the passerby physically uncomfortable. A coin in the hat brings a smile, thankful they are closer to the necessities they need and perhaps just thankful someone saw them as human.
Neither case prompts any sense of fear. I am more likely to admire their courage and feel pain at their need.
Understanding that pain and finding solutions for people in need is hard. Spotting the different among us and cultivating fear is easy. May we have the courage to do the hard thing and create a spirit of love.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Celebrating soldiers
As Americans and especially as a military family, today we celebrate Veterans Day. We honor the men and women who have committed their lives for the ideals of our country: freedom, justice, hope.
Until this year, I never made the connection that Veterans Day also falls on the feast of St. Martin of Tours, the patron saint of soldiers. St. Martin is huge in Germany for reasons I haven't figured out yet. But tonight we will gather in the town square, where children will hold up paper lanterns they made in school and we will process singing songs about this man who lived more than 1500 years ago. At the end of the procession, a local man dressed as St. Martin will come and tell the community the story of the soldier turned bishop.
Martin was an officer in the Roman army. The most famous anecdote begins on a cold winter night in France. St. Martin saw a beggar shivering in the elements on the side of the road. He stopped his horse and cut his cloak in two, giving half of it to the man. He likely would have given all of it, but half belonged to Rome. That night Martin had a dream that Jesus was wearing the cloak.
St. Martin is everything a military officer should be. He is a humble servant of his greatest ideals. He encourages and serves those in lower rank. One story says Martin would regularly clean the boots of the servant assigned to him. He fights and speaks out on behalf of those most vulnerable.
I have had the privilege of knowing many such officers in our Air Force, and am proud to count my husband among them. So today, I pray through the intercession of St. Martin for all of our men and women in uniform that they remember their oath to serve our country and always those in most need.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Better to be a humble child than a proud parent
"Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:3
My child amazes me.
I say that not just as a proud mom, but as a person genuinely in awe.
During the baptism preparation class we took before she was born, the speaker told us that someday we would stop in our tracks and realize how much our children were teaching us about living a Christian life. The moment occurred multiple times over the past month, as my 3-year-old has taught me more than I could imagine about faith and fearlessness.
First was ballet. We took her to see "The Nutcracker" last Christmas, and ever since, we had been promising her this fall she would get to take ballet. Germany was not going to get in the way. I found a studio, and a friend contacted the teacher so we could try it out. The teacher speaks great English, but, of course, does most of the instruction in German. Catherine didn't care. She jumped right in with the other girls. A huge grin stayed on her face and she jumped and twirled and volunteered to go first as if she had been taking lessons for years.
Then came Kindergarten. Ballet is only once a week, so all day, every day is a different story I thought. No. Again, we walked into school, she met the teacher, changed into her house shoes and ran off with the kids. By the time I picked her up, she was giving another girl a hug and didn't want to leave. After a couple weeks, I asked if she understood the other kids: "No Mommy, but we play anyway," she said matter-of-factly. Clearly her barriers are not the same as mine.
Somewhere in her brain, she senses or believes that ballet and Kindergarten are good for her. She trusts that I'm doing the right thing for her, and she doesn't ask a lot of questions about why (for once). If she can trust me, as flawed as I am, why is it so difficult for me to trust God?
The quote from the gospel of Matthew comes in a short exchange with the disciples. Again, they are misunderstanding the Kingdom of Heaven and ask Jesus who is the greatest. And Jesus must have wanted to scream, but instead he calls to a child and holds him up as an example of humility. Children haven't learned to depend on their own understanding. Instead, they have such faith in their parents that fearlessness comes naturally.
They run and dance and sing and laugh without worrying about what other people think or how it makes them look. They plunge into unfamiliar settings because they trust in the ones who put them there.
All of our journeys are full of places where we might doubt or fear even when we know we are going in the right direction. May God grant us the grace to overcome with a big grin on our face and say yes to his plan.
My child amazes me.
I say that not just as a proud mom, but as a person genuinely in awe.
During the baptism preparation class we took before she was born, the speaker told us that someday we would stop in our tracks and realize how much our children were teaching us about living a Christian life. The moment occurred multiple times over the past month, as my 3-year-old has taught me more than I could imagine about faith and fearlessness.
First was ballet. We took her to see "The Nutcracker" last Christmas, and ever since, we had been promising her this fall she would get to take ballet. Germany was not going to get in the way. I found a studio, and a friend contacted the teacher so we could try it out. The teacher speaks great English, but, of course, does most of the instruction in German. Catherine didn't care. She jumped right in with the other girls. A huge grin stayed on her face and she jumped and twirled and volunteered to go first as if she had been taking lessons for years.
Then came Kindergarten. Ballet is only once a week, so all day, every day is a different story I thought. No. Again, we walked into school, she met the teacher, changed into her house shoes and ran off with the kids. By the time I picked her up, she was giving another girl a hug and didn't want to leave. After a couple weeks, I asked if she understood the other kids: "No Mommy, but we play anyway," she said matter-of-factly. Clearly her barriers are not the same as mine.
Somewhere in her brain, she senses or believes that ballet and Kindergarten are good for her. She trusts that I'm doing the right thing for her, and she doesn't ask a lot of questions about why (for once). If she can trust me, as flawed as I am, why is it so difficult for me to trust God?
The quote from the gospel of Matthew comes in a short exchange with the disciples. Again, they are misunderstanding the Kingdom of Heaven and ask Jesus who is the greatest. And Jesus must have wanted to scream, but instead he calls to a child and holds him up as an example of humility. Children haven't learned to depend on their own understanding. Instead, they have such faith in their parents that fearlessness comes naturally.
They run and dance and sing and laugh without worrying about what other people think or how it makes them look. They plunge into unfamiliar settings because they trust in the ones who put them there.
All of our journeys are full of places where we might doubt or fear even when we know we are going in the right direction. May God grant us the grace to overcome with a big grin on our face and say yes to his plan.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Introvert in an Extrovert job
"Jesus would often slip away into the wilderness and pray." - Luke 5:16
Jesus was the ultimate introvert in and extrovert's job. He wanted to be with the people and understood that as his calling, but knew the importance of sometimes stepping back and being alone.
A few years ago, I took the Myers-Briggs for work. My introvert result was no surprise, but even I was taken aback by how far it went. I had zero extrovert points, as in I might have been happy as a cloistered nun.
This is not to say I don't like people. I've made my career talking to people and listening to their stories, and I love it. But it's exhausting. After a few hours of people, I'm ready to slip away into the wilderness too.
Well, for most of the last two months we have lived in one room (yay! we finally made it to the house!). Since being in the house, I'm still a stay-at-home mom of a an extroverted 3-year-old. The Kindergartens here all have wait lists, so while we wait, the munchkin and I have lots of together time, with very little wilderness to be found. Of all the challenges this move has presented, this is the hardest for me.
I take comfort knowing Jesus sometimes had to escape too, so I shouldn't have to feel guilty. Jesus also gives the example of what to do -- pray. I'm still trying to figure out how. Today, I'm saying a prayer of thanksgiving that the little one decided to take a nap, which is a rare thing.
So, I come to you. How do you introverts find time to recharge in busy days?
Jesus was the ultimate introvert in and extrovert's job. He wanted to be with the people and understood that as his calling, but knew the importance of sometimes stepping back and being alone.
A few years ago, I took the Myers-Briggs for work. My introvert result was no surprise, but even I was taken aback by how far it went. I had zero extrovert points, as in I might have been happy as a cloistered nun.
This is not to say I don't like people. I've made my career talking to people and listening to their stories, and I love it. But it's exhausting. After a few hours of people, I'm ready to slip away into the wilderness too.
Well, for most of the last two months we have lived in one room (yay! we finally made it to the house!). Since being in the house, I'm still a stay-at-home mom of a an extroverted 3-year-old. The Kindergartens here all have wait lists, so while we wait, the munchkin and I have lots of together time, with very little wilderness to be found. Of all the challenges this move has presented, this is the hardest for me.
I take comfort knowing Jesus sometimes had to escape too, so I shouldn't have to feel guilty. Jesus also gives the example of what to do -- pray. I'm still trying to figure out how. Today, I'm saying a prayer of thanksgiving that the little one decided to take a nap, which is a rare thing.
So, I come to you. How do you introverts find time to recharge in busy days?
Monday, July 13, 2015
Babel Continues
"There the Lord confused the speech of all the world. From there the Lord scattered them all over the Earth." Gen. 11:9
Everyone speaks English, they said. You won't have to worry about the language at all, they said.
They were only partly correct. Everyone learned English -- just like I "learned" French in high school. But I'll have my phrasebook out just like the next tourist when we make it to Paris.
We haven't had much problem getting by in rural Germany as long as I can see the numbers on the cash register. We've learned enough to decipher a menu, and thank God the order of the Mass (usually) doesn't change.
The language barrier has led to a few awkward moments. Another time, I let my 3-year-old pick out some sausage from a market vendor. Somehow "leberwurst" did not translate into "liverwurst" in my head, and I bought it. She cringed at the mushy, pink stuff at first, but after a little prodding and reminder that she picked it out, she ate it by the forkfull!
More than anything though - I totally understand the Tower of Babel. As I child, it always struck me as kind of a funny story. Did those people actually think they could be greater than God? Scripture is a little hazy on their exact sin, but it does say they wanted to "make a name for themselves." (Gen. 11:4) And that idea disturbed God.
So he decided to "confuse their language," so they could no longer continue their self-aggrandizing plan. I now see exactly how that works. When you can't communicate, even the smallest tasks like buying bread become more complicated, much less trying to negotiate rent or enroll my daughter in school. I am acutely aware that I am in someone else's world, and I have to humbly ask for a lot more help than normal. Pride and independence has to take a backseat.
Even more frustrating is I can't help other people. One of the larger thoroughfares in town is closed for construction, and twice in the last week someone has stopped me to ask for directions. But aside from pointing, I can't really tell them where to go even though I know perfectly well. I'm not sure that's what God wanted from the Tower of Babel.
Maybe the whole story is a reminder that in the beginning we did speak the same language because we do need each other. We just have to approach each other with a little more humility and openness to make things happen.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Finding freedom
"Where the spirit of The Lord is, there is freedom." - 2 Cor. 3:17
This verse has pulled me through some tough decisions in the past, but I saw it in a new way this weekend as we gathered with the International community here for American Independence Day. With food, games and fireworks, we gathered far from home but celebrated - and shared - the best of America.
Americans like to think we have a monopoly on freedom, and we certainly institutionalized it in a new way. But we didn't invent it. God wanted us to be free from the beginning. He planned for us to live in harmony with him, each other and the Earth.
Unfortunately, we got in the way of that plan. So we constantly try to create systems and laws and structures that re-create the gift God gave us in the beginning.
Saturday evening though, I was reminded that simplicity leads us back to that place of freedom. Our outpost here is pretty remote from all things America. And our American community is about 35 families who wanted to share America with our NATO friends. Our celebration looked like every church/community picnic you've ever attended. The kids ran in the sprinklers, threw water balloons and jumped in bounce houses. Teens kicked soccer balls and giggles awkwardly at members of the opposite sex. Adults chatted over beers, listened to great music and played a little corn hole. After the sun finally went down, we settled with our families on the lawn and oohed and aaahed at fireworks.
This is what freedom looks like. It's having our basic needs met. It's having a caring community of people who may or may not look like you. It's being able to share stories and experiences and speak your mind without fear.
That is what our founding fathers wanted. That is what God wanted. May he continue to bless America.
This verse has pulled me through some tough decisions in the past, but I saw it in a new way this weekend as we gathered with the International community here for American Independence Day. With food, games and fireworks, we gathered far from home but celebrated - and shared - the best of America.
Americans like to think we have a monopoly on freedom, and we certainly institutionalized it in a new way. But we didn't invent it. God wanted us to be free from the beginning. He planned for us to live in harmony with him, each other and the Earth.
Unfortunately, we got in the way of that plan. So we constantly try to create systems and laws and structures that re-create the gift God gave us in the beginning.
Saturday evening though, I was reminded that simplicity leads us back to that place of freedom. Our outpost here is pretty remote from all things America. And our American community is about 35 families who wanted to share America with our NATO friends. Our celebration looked like every church/community picnic you've ever attended. The kids ran in the sprinklers, threw water balloons and jumped in bounce houses. Teens kicked soccer balls and giggles awkwardly at members of the opposite sex. Adults chatted over beers, listened to great music and played a little corn hole. After the sun finally went down, we settled with our families on the lawn and oohed and aaahed at fireworks.
This is what freedom looks like. It's having our basic needs met. It's having a caring community of people who may or may not look like you. It's being able to share stories and experiences and speak your mind without fear.
That is what our founding fathers wanted. That is what God wanted. May he continue to bless America.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Together for Father's Day
"The just walk in integrity; happy are their children after them!" - Proverbs 20:7
For the first time since he became a father, Joey actually was home on Father's Day. If I was a better wife, I would have planned ahead for some gift or cards, but in the craziness of the last few weeks it didn't happen. Instead, we got to enjoy just being together and exploring our new region - and I think that was OK with him, especially since it involved amazing waffles.
At the same time, this move clearly demonstrated the amazing man and father he is. From the beginning, his concern was for our family and how we would all adjust. He took the lead on all the plans and coordination and getting the house ready. When it came time to execute, he made it easy for the rest of us to follow the plan.
When our plans took a turn in Chicago, forcing us to travel separately to Germany, he made sure I knew he believed in me and everything would be fine.
That's what the head of a household looks like. He takes on the tough jobs and empowers his wife to take on the rest. He doesn't make unilateral decisions, but takes the lead on walking our family through them. He accepts input and admits when he needs help. As an independent woman, it can be hard to step back, but then I have to remember all he does is for the rest of us.
I hope our daughter finds someone just like him.
For the first time since he became a father, Joey actually was home on Father's Day. If I was a better wife, I would have planned ahead for some gift or cards, but in the craziness of the last few weeks it didn't happen. Instead, we got to enjoy just being together and exploring our new region - and I think that was OK with him, especially since it involved amazing waffles.
At the same time, this move clearly demonstrated the amazing man and father he is. From the beginning, his concern was for our family and how we would all adjust. He took the lead on all the plans and coordination and getting the house ready. When it came time to execute, he made it easy for the rest of us to follow the plan.
When our plans took a turn in Chicago, forcing us to travel separately to Germany, he made sure I knew he believed in me and everything would be fine.
That's what the head of a household looks like. He takes on the tough jobs and empowers his wife to take on the rest. He doesn't make unilateral decisions, but takes the lead on walking our family through them. He accepts input and admits when he needs help. As an independent woman, it can be hard to step back, but then I have to remember all he does is for the rest of us.
I hope our daughter finds someone just like him.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
All we have is faith
Note: I wrote this on the plane yesterday and I'll just leave it as is. When I'm a little more recovered form jet lag I'll write about the first couple days.
"We walk by faith and not by sight." 2 Cor. 5:7
As we boarded the plane today, the words from Sunday's second reading rang particularly true. We don't really know anyone in the town we will be staying in Germany. We don't speak any German. We don't have a place to live. All of our worldly belongings - the things that make a place feel like home - and even the practical things like pots and pans are on a ship for the next 8 weeks or so.
All we can do is trust in God - that he has a reason for this move. We trust that he will send us people to help - and he already has.
Doing that as our plans take a turn is harder than it sounds. This move has made me realize the importance of my daily prayer life, which has largely been lacking, unless you count those said with our 3 year old at night.
Maintaining faith when your world turns upside down is no doubt easier if I practiced that daily prayer and commitment to Gods will. So I plan to start here on the plane. I ask St. Christopher to pray for us we travel and I ask God to help me use this journey as a way to get closer to him.
"We walk by faith and not by sight." 2 Cor. 5:7
As we boarded the plane today, the words from Sunday's second reading rang particularly true. We don't really know anyone in the town we will be staying in Germany. We don't speak any German. We don't have a place to live. All of our worldly belongings - the things that make a place feel like home - and even the practical things like pots and pans are on a ship for the next 8 weeks or so.
All we can do is trust in God - that he has a reason for this move. We trust that he will send us people to help - and he already has.
Doing that as our plans take a turn is harder than it sounds. This move has made me realize the importance of my daily prayer life, which has largely been lacking, unless you count those said with our 3 year old at night.
Maintaining faith when your world turns upside down is no doubt easier if I practiced that daily prayer and commitment to Gods will. So I plan to start here on the plane. I ask St. Christopher to pray for us we travel and I ask God to help me use this journey as a way to get closer to him.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Go Forth
The whole of Western Civilization begins with this order dropped on Abram from God without warning or invitation as far as we know.
You have to wonder what was Abram thinking? He was apparently a man of some success and means, with a wife and livestock and servants. You can't just up and move all that to an unknown location, right? The Bible doesn't tell us that. It just says he went.
Because when God -- or in my case the Air Force -- says go, you do.
While I certainly don't claim to be the start of a new chapter of civilization, I have felt a new kinship with Abram in the months since my husband's new assignment dropped.
Like Abram, we had little warning. The email showed up and in its government style, said without fanfare: You will go to Germany and be here by this date. Make it happen.
It didn't matter that we spent 13 years in one place, or that I had a career or that we had just remodeled our kitchen. All we knew was the Air Force decided they need Joey in Germany.
At least Abram received some promises from God: "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you." (Gen. 12:2) The Air Force only promises to keep paying us - which I'll take. It is our challenge to trust that God has great plans for us to serve, to grow, and to carry his mission forward to the people and places we'll go.
In this space, I hope to chronicle this new adventure. It will be a little bit travel, a little expat, a little MilSpouse and a little mom blog - all through the lens of faith.
I sit in a hotel room tonight, with my belongings packed, thanking God for this challenge, and praying we can fulfill our part of his plan. Thank you for being part of it.
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