My story

It's time for me to share a little bit about myself.  I've been told that I was born in a Catholic Hospital in Elmira, New York.  My mother was Catholic but not a practicing one...at least not as far back as I can recall.  My parents divorced but my father got us kids.  All I will say about that is, it was a big mistake on somebody's part. I did attend a few different churches and religions in my younger days and my father didn't oppose the idea.  So I guess you might call that Prevenient Grace.


During High School my father insisted that I take JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) which is where I met some of my dear friends that I still have today.  After High School, I went into the Air Force. One night during basic training I had a dream that I would meet a tall, dark, and handsome man.  I woke up wanting to go to California.  So I did...and I was stationed at Castle Air Force Base where a few days later I met my future husband.  For me it was love at first sight.  He was the person that I needed in my life to help me get through some issues with my father.  


We lived together and as nature would have it I became pregnant with his child.  Eventually we got married on the base by a chaplain that I knew through work.  Our son was born on the base a week or so later.  My husband's parents wanted our son to be Baptized.  I didn't have a problem with that at all.  My husband's best friend became our son's Godfather.  


About a year later, I found that I was pregnant with our second child. During this pregnancy, I had a change of bases.  This time to Bergstrom Air Force Base near Austin, Texas.  A few months later, our daughter was born in a Catholic Hospital in Austin.  When time came, she also was Baptized. 


Mind you we were not members of this church but my husband's parents were.  We didn't start going to church on a regular basis until we moved to Richardson, Texas and lived a few blocks from my husband's parents house.  So naturally, we went to church on a regular basis.  When we joined the church, I thought that I had been Baptized when I was little.  I didn't find out until later that I wasn't.  So I went to the classes and I was Baptized on the Saturday before Easter. A short time later I went to Disciple I classes. I liked them so much that I went to Disciple II and Disciple III classes.  Plus for awhile I was in the Church Choir.


As the kids grew I became more involved with their activities like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. By the time the kids were teenagers they were involved in Explorer Scouts then Venturing Crew where I was their Assistant Leader.  Lord knows how I managed all of this and went to work full time but I did. 


The one thing that I failed to realize was that my husband was pulling away.  Not as involved with the children's activities as I was.  I attributed it to his working alot.  Now, I could do a whole lot of blaming myself but as it turns out things weren't all they seemed to be.  He never did love me enough to sustain him through the trials and tribulations of everyday life.  He asked me for a divorce.  Which eventually did happen.  During all of this I fell away from the church.  I was never actually shunned but I felt as though I had been.


After the divorce was final.  I didn't want to be in church any where. I didn't want to have to explain the shame I was feeling.  As life progressed and a few of God's love taps with a two by four, I finally made my mind up to live with my friends and become a member of their church.  In doing that I was given the great privilege of becoming a pilgrim at the Texoma Walk to Emmaus #75 where I made many new friends that I call Sisters.


That's my story.  I hope to be able to share more journeys in the future.


DeColores!