sharon

How I became "The Church Lady"

I grew up in a Catholic home with five sisters on a farm near Hinton, Iowa.
We went to church on Sunday and sometimes prayed at mealtime, but not
much more occurred to foster my relationship with Jesus. My parents were
both alcoholics and I became one.

After I got out of high school and I developed a relationship with a man
who was also an alcoholic and a drug user. He had a way of constantly
putting me down, but I felt I deserved this. When we are lost Jesus has a
way of using the ordinary events of life to reach down and rescue us from
our poverty. One day I found a book called "The Power of Positive
Thinking". It changed my life. I remember my boyfriend asking me "Who
have you been talking to?" He didn't like that I no longer put up with his
abuse, and I finally had the courage to leave him.

Remember the parable of the Sower? (Luke 8:5-8) "A farmer went out to
sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it
was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some plants withered
because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew
up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came
up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown". My
conversion was a lot like this. It wasn't something that happened all at
once, like St. Paul's conversion after hearing the voice of Jesus. Rather, the
little seed of God's word took time to grow and develop in my heart. In my
childhood and early adulthood, I was among the thorns. I felt like the seed
that had withered because it had no moisture. Then when I read that book,
and it really watered me for a time. It taught me Bible verses like " If God
is for me, who can be against me" and "I can do all things through Christ
who gives me strength". These verses still sustain me.

Unfortunately, I backslid for a time, but God was also teaching me during
this time. I searched for God in other churches because they made me feel
good. I had a void that needed filling and singing uplifting songs and
getting together with others to worship God seemed to fill the void. But
one day I heard God's voice. He said "Sharon, I need you in the Catholic
Church to be a light for Me."

I listened to that voice, and I am so glad I did. Growing up in the Catholic
Church, I didn't understand why we did certain things. I just did them
because I was told too. After we moved to a new city, I became more
involved in the parish and I began to learn the why of my faith. I attended
RCIA and a Bible study class offered by a group of religious sisters. I
developed the ability to defend my faith and teach others why we do the
things we do. I will never forget one time when I was having a
conversation with someone about my favorite subject, Jesus. He asked me
what Church I go to. When I told him the Catholic Church, I thought he was
going to fall off his chair. There is a lot of misunderstanding out there about
us. Only by educating ourselves about our faith, can we educate others.
God has now filled my void with the understanding and the desire to
become more and more like Him. My prayer now is "Lord, help me to
decrease, so that you may increase".

Now I feel like I am on good soil, and this is where I want to stay. I try to
receive Jesus worthily in the Holy Eucharist as often as I possibly can. I
pray each day and meditate on God's Word daily (it's my soul food). I
have also surrounded myself with others who wish to be close to Him.

God has sent me a wonderful husband who helps me and supports me in
my walk with Jesus. We both strive to do God's will in our lives. We do this
by reading the Bible together daily and listening for God's voice in quiet
time, in the voice of others, and in circumstances of our lives. Luke 8:15
says "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good
heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produces a crop."
This is my prayer-- That in everything I think, do, and say in my life, I may
reflect the love of Jesus, my savior, and that one day when someone looks
at me, they can't see me, Sharon, or the Church Lady, the only thing they
will be able to see is Jesus, my savior who rescues me from me and my
wayward ways, moment by moment!!!