Thank you so much for your words about praying as a single person. I love your double petition. The struggles in every season are something I remind myself of when I fall into the temptation of idolizing or glorifying marriage and family life. I’m 33, not dating anyone, striving to live as a Christian disciple, and I write about my joys and struggles here on Substack because I wasn’t seeing my experience represented anywhere. It helps to be reminded that I’m not alone and there is immense beauty in this season, even if it’s not what I ever hoped for for myself.
The section on honoring your parents once you become an adult hits hard, especially after a tough conversation with my dad about my desire for religious life (both my parents are Protestants and they don't understand). I have no desire to cut my parents out of my life, or to bring them grief, but I can also see that the path down which the Holy Spirit is leading me is not one they will probably ever understand or approve...so it's tough. Even without the threat of permanent separation, having to tell anyone you love, "Hey, let's not talk for a while until we can work out our feelings on this" is really painful.
My struggles with my parents years ago were very similar—they couldn’t fathom why their smart, over-achieving daughter walked away from her impressive jobs in DC, first to do missionary work and then to go to go to grad school at some small Catholic university they had never heard of in some crappy steel town. They thought I was entering a cult and were so worried about me. All our conflict was really rooted in their love for me. Although it didn’t feel like that to me then. The passage of time and my own happiness eventually made these things a non-issue. Their faith didn’t change. But their acceptance of mine did. I know now is tough. But I promise God can bring them along in ways you can’t imagine now. I know what I am about to say sounds impossible, but just entrust their worries to Him. Let Him put their minds to rest. Your job is to just to follow Jesus and love them. If they act immaturely in their worry for you, beg God for the grace not to get drawn into it and remain the mature one. In time, that will make all the difference.
Oof. That's a hard one. I can see it being especially hard for Protestant parents. Even some Catholic parents have a hard time letting their daughters and sons enter Religious Life with a "Parental" Blessing, support and encouragement. You never know what God has in store for you or your parents. In Religious Life you would have a unique opportunity to pray for your parents and their relationship with God. 👍
The vast majority of therapists in this country have been trained at universities that teach Marxist/Communist ideas. One of their primary goals is to cut off a generation from the past in order to remake it in their image and this includes separating children from their families and replace them with the state! These therapists, in droves, are instructing their patients to leave their "toxic" parents, all the while going to the bank with clicks, subscribes and old-fashioned dollars by diluting the definition of "toxic" to anything short of perfection. (This standard would have classified many Biblical heroes and Saints as "toxic"!) This is a grave injustice and the cause of much suffering for parents now, for children later, and for any grandchildren to come. My heartfelt message to the people who have cut off their parents: Please, reconsider! Learn to forgive just as you want to be forgiven for your errors. "The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you." Mathhew7:2.
Oh thank you for the Gillian Welch recommendation. I've heard her before but haven't nearly exhausted her catalogue. This is just the muggy, moody, sincere backdrop to summer I need. So much wisdom here, as always. (Fun fact my friend's priest in DC was quoted in that Free Press article -- she was one of the not-mentioned women converting along with the many men! I was at the Vigil, absolutely packed with young converts and families. A beautiful thing! Catholicism IS cool.)
Thank you so much for your words about praying as a single person. I love your double petition. The struggles in every season are something I remind myself of when I fall into the temptation of idolizing or glorifying marriage and family life. I’m 33, not dating anyone, striving to live as a Christian disciple, and I write about my joys and struggles here on Substack because I wasn’t seeing my experience represented anywhere. It helps to be reminded that I’m not alone and there is immense beauty in this season, even if it’s not what I ever hoped for for myself.
The section on honoring your parents once you become an adult hits hard, especially after a tough conversation with my dad about my desire for religious life (both my parents are Protestants and they don't understand). I have no desire to cut my parents out of my life, or to bring them grief, but I can also see that the path down which the Holy Spirit is leading me is not one they will probably ever understand or approve...so it's tough. Even without the threat of permanent separation, having to tell anyone you love, "Hey, let's not talk for a while until we can work out our feelings on this" is really painful.
My struggles with my parents years ago were very similar—they couldn’t fathom why their smart, over-achieving daughter walked away from her impressive jobs in DC, first to do missionary work and then to go to go to grad school at some small Catholic university they had never heard of in some crappy steel town. They thought I was entering a cult and were so worried about me. All our conflict was really rooted in their love for me. Although it didn’t feel like that to me then. The passage of time and my own happiness eventually made these things a non-issue. Their faith didn’t change. But their acceptance of mine did. I know now is tough. But I promise God can bring them along in ways you can’t imagine now. I know what I am about to say sounds impossible, but just entrust their worries to Him. Let Him put their minds to rest. Your job is to just to follow Jesus and love them. If they act immaturely in their worry for you, beg God for the grace not to get drawn into it and remain the mature one. In time, that will make all the difference.
Thank you! Praying and trying to stay mature haha.
Oof. That's a hard one. I can see it being especially hard for Protestant parents. Even some Catholic parents have a hard time letting their daughters and sons enter Religious Life with a "Parental" Blessing, support and encouragement. You never know what God has in store for you or your parents. In Religious Life you would have a unique opportunity to pray for your parents and their relationship with God. 👍
Thank you! I am still pursuing the path and praying!
Concerning the cutting-off-of-parents:
The vast majority of therapists in this country have been trained at universities that teach Marxist/Communist ideas. One of their primary goals is to cut off a generation from the past in order to remake it in their image and this includes separating children from their families and replace them with the state! These therapists, in droves, are instructing their patients to leave their "toxic" parents, all the while going to the bank with clicks, subscribes and old-fashioned dollars by diluting the definition of "toxic" to anything short of perfection. (This standard would have classified many Biblical heroes and Saints as "toxic"!) This is a grave injustice and the cause of much suffering for parents now, for children later, and for any grandchildren to come. My heartfelt message to the people who have cut off their parents: Please, reconsider! Learn to forgive just as you want to be forgiven for your errors. "The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you." Mathhew7:2.
Oh thank you for the Gillian Welch recommendation. I've heard her before but haven't nearly exhausted her catalogue. This is just the muggy, moody, sincere backdrop to summer I need. So much wisdom here, as always. (Fun fact my friend's priest in DC was quoted in that Free Press article -- she was one of the not-mentioned women converting along with the many men! I was at the Vigil, absolutely packed with young converts and families. A beautiful thing! Catholicism IS cool.)