Feeling God Leading

  • Thread starter Thread starter LuckyLexi
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
L

LuckyLexi

Guest
And kind of just like a pouring out of my heart, sorry it’s so long :o

I was raised staunchly protestant, from the “Catholics are not really Christians” camp (although I guess people say a lot worse…). I was a good Protestant (Baptist, to be specific).

I attended church just about every time the doors were opened. I went to Sunday school and worship service on Sunday morning, I did church choir and/or drama in the afternoon, went to evening worship service at night, played handbells on Wednesdays, went to children’s/youth service on Wednesday night, went through all ten “upper” AWANA books in the program, volunteered to teach AWANA, went through all seven years of the BSF International Bible Study programs, you get the idea. Oh, and I was homeschooled, so Bible study was a part of our regular studies. I was saved (in the protestant sense) when I was 7 and was then baptized.

But when I was 17, things changed. I had dated before then, but I started participating in more activities that I should not. I quit going to church, started drinking and smoking, and dating a guy I shouldn’t. I moved off to college shortly after, and never really got back into church. My lifestyle change was not the only reason that I quit going to church. I felt that my church was not offering anything to my life. It was social. The study of the Bible seemed superficial more ‘accommodating’. My particular church led a double life; my youth group actually pulled pregnant teenagers out of the youth group and asked them not to come back, because it wasn’t fitting with the “image” of the group, but then they bragged in the worship service about how much they ministered to the pregnant teeenagers at the local Baptist house. I just felt like my church was just a social group.

Anyway, I started researching a lot online. I actually found this site while looking for reviews of the LadyComp (a NFP device). I just ended up coming here more and more. I have been lurking for quite some time, reading just about every day on here. I even started visiting Mass over the summer. When I go to Mass, it is totally different than ‘church’ as I knew it. It is a complete worship experience (I could only imagine how much more complete after I join the church and can finally recieve the Eucharist!) anyway. I started with daily Mass, and then started going to Sunday Mass around the time I started attending RCIA. Everything I learn makes me wonder why I believed differently. Anyway.

I feel like God is leading me to the Catholic chruch (which is probably not a suprise to anyone on here!). But, on the other hand, I am a very analytical person. I like to know everything there is to know about something before I decide, which is why I am going to RCIA very excitedly (it hasn’t gotten very deep yet, I mean, don’t get me wrong, I LOVED the tour of the Cathedral, but I want to learn some deeper stuff soon!) but I feel like there isn’t an option for me NOT to join the church. I mean, with all that I believe already, and what I have learned about the church, I feel it is already in my heart to join.

I just don’t know what to say to my family though, who are very anti-Catholic. I will feel like I would need to defend my decision to them, and I just don’t feel prepared to do that. I mean all I could say would be “well, I feel this is what God wants for me” and thats it. That is a good enough reason for me, but to my Grandpa who writes protestant books? My Mom who (due to illness, totally different story) can’t speak back, and is extremely emotionally fragile? I mean, my mom is the strongest Christian I know. She spent all of her life bringing me up as a Baptist. And I would come to her, knowing she can’t talk to me about it (she writes, but you just can’t have an in depth conversation with someone who has to write everything) and I feel it would make her very upset and I don’t want to upset her. Or my husband, who is Baptist as well, but quit going to church when his church was shut down because the Pastor, who he trusted completely, stole thousands of dollars from the church for his own personal gain. My wonderful husband is very supportive of my RCIA, but didn’t jump at the chance to go with me. I had not made my decision to join the church when I started, so I was not really asking him to go, but I wanted him to. Anyway. I am just at a spot right now where I don’t really have anyone to talk to. I am starting to get to know my RCIA sponsor, but we aren’t really that close yet. I hope we will get to know each other soon.

Anyway, I realize this was quite long, but I was literally bursting at the seams and decided I had to speak to someone. I am just really having a hard time accepting the fact that this is happening so quickly, but I really feel it is what God wants for me. It is confusing for me, but I suppose I must have faith 🙂
 
Hi LuckyLexi,

First of all welcome home!. I am really excited for you because I know at least for me the more I read and learn about the Church that Christ founded the more beautiful and sensical it becomes. It is always fun to hear about more people who join in that excitement.

Anyway as for your problem about telling your parents and friends etc… I would say first make sure that joining the Church is something you truely want to do (which sounds like it is). I would also read Scott Hahn’s book Rome Sweet Home and David Curries book Born Fundamentalist Born Again Catholic. (If you want the abridged version of their stories look up Catholic Lighthouse media and you can buy their CD talks, for like $3.00 each. I would still reccomend the books though,) These are both conversion stories from people with similar backgrounds as you and might help give you some examples/reference points of what to do and how to handle the situation.

I watched EWTN’s Coming Home program when Marcus Grodi interviewed David Currie and one of the questions askedd him was how did he break it to his friends and relatives that he was converting. In fact, his whole book was written to explain it to his friends and family. He suggested that you gather your thoughts and then write a letter to everyone and mail it through certified mail (an email would work too), explaining what you are doing. He said that this served too purposes, one being that everyone gets the news at the same time with an explaination of your reasoning so you don’t have to keep explaining it over and over again and 2. if gives your parents and friends some time to calm down before you have a face to face talk with them. It allows them to get over the shock and to think rationally which hopefully helps avoid unnecessary arguments and hurt feelings through rash “shocked” verbiage. It also, helps you become emotionaly prepared for that trying time as well because it helps ou think through and marshal your own arguments.

Hope this helps.
 
DJK100 said:
Hi LuckyLexi,

First of all welcome home!. I am really excited for you because I know at least for me the more I read and learn about the Church that Christ founded the more beautiful and sensical it becomes. It is always fun to hear about more people who join in that excitement.

Anyway as for your problem about telling your parents and friends etc… I would say first make sure that joining the Church is something you truely want to do (which sounds like it is). I would also read Scott Hahn’s book Rome Sweet Home and David Curries book Born Fundamentalist Born Again Catholic. (If you want the abridged version of their stories look up Catholic Lighthouse media and you can buy their CD talks, for like $3.00 each. I would still reccomend the books though,) These are both conversion stories from people with similar backgrounds as you and might help give you some examples/reference points of what to do and how to handle the situation.

I watched EWTN’s Coming Home program when Marcus Grodi interviewed David Currie and one of the questions askedd him was how did he break it to his friends and relatives that he was converting. In fact, his whole book was written to explain it to his friends and family. He suggested that you gather your thoughts and then write a letter to everyone and mail it through certified mail (an email would work too), explaining what you are doing. He said that this served too purposes, one being that everyone gets the news at the same time with an explaination of your reasoning so you don’t have to keep explaining it over and over again and 2. if gives your parents and friends some time to calm down before you have a face to face talk with them. It allows them to get over the shock and to think rationally which hopefully helps avoid unnecessary arguments and hurt feelings through rash “shocked” verbiage. It also, helps you become emotionaly prepared for that trying time as well because it helps ou think through and marshal your own arguments.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! I am actually already started reading Rome Sweet Home, I stayed up very late a couple of nights ago because I couldn’t put it down. I have not heard of David Currie’s book yet, I will definitely have to look into it!

Although a letter seems like a good idea, it is probably not perfect for my situation. I perhaps forgot to mention that since I got laid off almost a year ago, my husband and I had to move in with his parents. Next month, we are moving into my parent’s basement. So getting a letter like that would not be that appropriate when I’m living downstairs! Part of the reason we are moving into my parent’s house is because of my mom’s illness, so we will probably end up seeing more of each other. (Although, given my mom’s illness, which I won’t go into detail on right now, but she may no longer be with us by Easter, there is no way to know) So I would hate to do anything to cause a discomfort between us. A heartfelt letter would probably actually be best for my Grandpa, we are not nearly as close but he is the one that I am sure will think that I have joined a cult and will be going to hell for it. But, he is also the one who has expressed the greatest desire to see me in church again (I’m just sure he didn’t have a Catholic church in mind!) Anyway, thank you so much for your reply and welcome!
 
DJK100 said:
Hi LuckyLexi,

First of all welcome home!. I am really excited for you because I know at least for me the more I read and learn about the Church that Christ founded the more beautiful and sensical it becomes. It is always fun to hear about more people who join in that excitement.

Anyway as for your problem about telling your parents and friends etc… I would say first make sure that joining the Church is something you truely want to do (which sounds like it is). I would also read Scott Hahn’s book Rome Sweet Home and David Curries book Born Fundamentalist Born Again Catholic. (If you want the abridged version of their stories look up Catholic Lighthouse media and you can buy their CD talks, for like $3.00 each. I would still reccomend the books though,) These are both conversion stories from people with similar backgrounds as you and might help give you some examples/reference points of what to do and how to handle the situation.

I watched EWTN’s Coming Home program when Marcus Grodi interviewed David Currie and one of the questions askedd him was how did he break it to his friends and relatives that he was converting. In fact, his whole book was written to explain it to his friends and family. He suggested that you gather your thoughts and then write a letter to everyone and mail it through certified mail (an email would work too), explaining what you are doing. He said that this served too purposes, one being that everyone gets the news at the same time with an explaination of your reasoning so you don’t have to keep explaining it over and over again and 2. if gives your parents and friends some time to calm down before you have a face to face talk with them. It allows them to get over the shock and to think rationally which hopefully helps avoid unnecessary arguments and hurt feelings through rash “shocked” verbiage. It also, helps you become emotionaly prepared for that trying time as well because it helps ou think through and marshal your own arguments.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
👍 I’m a cradle Catholic. I have read Rome sweet home and watch Coming Home on EWTN both are great!!! I went to camp AWANA with a friend one summer when I was 12 it was a fun camp but it was a culture shock all I had ever know was the Catholic faith it made me love my Catholic faith more.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top