S
spellingace91
Guest
I feel that I am in a similar situation, although at an earlier stage, perhaps. I’m only 19, and have already been through one year of college, but there’s still a few more years of opportunity there for me to grow.
The source of frustration for me is in the fact that I don’t have a go-to female friend any longer, now that my previous such friend from high school goes to college far away, and is doing other things with new people (which is fine, and I wouldn’t want to detract from her knowing and being with her new friends). I just want someone other than my other guy friends and my private journals to talk about faith and other things that I feel strongly about and like discussing with others, and be a companion and bastion of support for me. I’ve grown anxious at times in this pursuit, which I already know is fruitless, but I just get so passionate about the things I want to share that I just let it eat at me sometimes. I guess my impression of a go-to female is a female best friend, which has potential to grow into a girlfriend, and spouse, so it might be slightly misleading to say I’m looking for a wife all the time, but at the same time, I’m never going to enter into a relationship ignorant of the ultimate goal.
But, going along with what the OP is finding hard, it is hard to try and attract others who are strong Catholics, because good, practicing Catholics don’t make it a point to make ostentatious displays of their faith, and it can feel like one is improving constantly, and growing stronger and more devout, and it’s all to no avail on the spousal front, as it’s like no one can see or will ever see. Whenever I confront myself with this thought, I just say to myself that devout Catholicism lends itself to things like being a mentor to others (which will surely show anyone who has eyes and ears that you are as desirable a spouse as you are indispensable a friend to your advisees, because your great faith will shine through), putting that faith into charitable or volunteer work (which, again, will demonstrate your willingness to feed yourself sacrifice and inconvenience for the sake of the Gospel and the disadvantaged), and that persistent prayer (which comes from this Sunday’s Gospel reading, whose message inspired me to write this post) asking for what you lack will yield the best thing for you. If you lack proper discernment for a vocation, ask for it. It can be hard to trust God when things seem out of our control, and thus more desperate, urgent, and hopeless, but that’s precisely when we need Him most!
I offer my prayers for you and your cause. A lot of men are stricken by the objectification trap, and prayer is the way I lifted my blindness to the true beauty and joy of women. St. Maria Goretti, St. Joseph, and, of course, the Blessed Virgin Mary, were my Big Three in my quest, and I ask constantly for their prayers for me, and all men, so that a preservation and renewal of chastity in our society may come about, which I think will benefit your cause a great deal.
God bless you.
The source of frustration for me is in the fact that I don’t have a go-to female friend any longer, now that my previous such friend from high school goes to college far away, and is doing other things with new people (which is fine, and I wouldn’t want to detract from her knowing and being with her new friends). I just want someone other than my other guy friends and my private journals to talk about faith and other things that I feel strongly about and like discussing with others, and be a companion and bastion of support for me. I’ve grown anxious at times in this pursuit, which I already know is fruitless, but I just get so passionate about the things I want to share that I just let it eat at me sometimes. I guess my impression of a go-to female is a female best friend, which has potential to grow into a girlfriend, and spouse, so it might be slightly misleading to say I’m looking for a wife all the time, but at the same time, I’m never going to enter into a relationship ignorant of the ultimate goal.
But, going along with what the OP is finding hard, it is hard to try and attract others who are strong Catholics, because good, practicing Catholics don’t make it a point to make ostentatious displays of their faith, and it can feel like one is improving constantly, and growing stronger and more devout, and it’s all to no avail on the spousal front, as it’s like no one can see or will ever see. Whenever I confront myself with this thought, I just say to myself that devout Catholicism lends itself to things like being a mentor to others (which will surely show anyone who has eyes and ears that you are as desirable a spouse as you are indispensable a friend to your advisees, because your great faith will shine through), putting that faith into charitable or volunteer work (which, again, will demonstrate your willingness to feed yourself sacrifice and inconvenience for the sake of the Gospel and the disadvantaged), and that persistent prayer (which comes from this Sunday’s Gospel reading, whose message inspired me to write this post) asking for what you lack will yield the best thing for you. If you lack proper discernment for a vocation, ask for it. It can be hard to trust God when things seem out of our control, and thus more desperate, urgent, and hopeless, but that’s precisely when we need Him most!
I offer my prayers for you and your cause. A lot of men are stricken by the objectification trap, and prayer is the way I lifted my blindness to the true beauty and joy of women. St. Maria Goretti, St. Joseph, and, of course, the Blessed Virgin Mary, were my Big Three in my quest, and I ask constantly for their prayers for me, and all men, so that a preservation and renewal of chastity in our society may come about, which I think will benefit your cause a great deal.
God bless you.