What lets you grow - support or an hostile environment

[alice24]

I’m sure you do a great job with this institution! But honestly, I see difficulties for us with this:

• time. As basic as it sounds, but we live under the poverty line here and can’t afford creating work free space for more activities.
• I’m not that kind of person who is able to work socially without damaging my mental resources I found my faith through theology at university and this is more my medium to give witness.
• I can’t really imagine to do this without exactly the backup group of faithful people I lack. I feel, even if a person can be both a role model (and this is what you truly are on your mission) and a learning, incomplete seeker, I need to stabilize first with other people who are grown in their faith.

 

[CRM_Brother]

Religious formation is usually directed to to provide both (not necessarily hostility) harsh challenges and support. Hardship challenges you to grow. Religious who throw themselves into their own formation will tell you that this can be one of the most painful experiences of your life because you are emotionally and spiritually broken down to the very core of your being. Each flaw in your character is hammered at until it cracks away. You are then put back together by your Superiors and the Holy Spirit into a new person who more perfectly conforms to Christ. Then the process starts all over again. From experience, through the harsh challenges of formation, I have grown into a person I could never dream of becoming at the beginning of my formation.

There always, however, must be support for those times when you have been broken down to the point where someone must help put you back together. In religious formation, these people are your brothers or sisters in your community and your Superiors. In the laity, these can be friends, family, or spouses. Support is integral to growth in the most extreme circumstances. No one can grow alone.

 

[alice24]

In the laity, these can be friends, family, or spouses. Support is integral to growth in the most extreme circumstances. No one can grow alone.

This it what concerns me. I can´t create new brothers or sisters in christ next to my door (and honestly, I even searched far away from my door ) and as I am the christian spouse (even if my husband is interested and shares my fastings, celebrations etc) I need to be this “spiritual army” of my own. It makes me…tired from time to time. I didn´t exoerienced role models in a spiritual way in my family, and the friends we still have on distance now are mostly secular.

 

[alice24]

So it’s hard for me to not just “go with the flow”.

What is it like to live in Germany?

I think it was more easy for me to avoid the secular flow when I still lived in a vivid, wealthy, intentional city… All the events to spend time and thought… Which wasn’t necessarily bad or evil, but I’m simply more at home and leave more or less only for working, buying food and church, which became my center point.
How is it in Germany. . So easy that may be difficult to avoid sin for many. I have the questionable luck to live a life with with extremely limited financial resources, but this is not average here. People aren’t starving physically, but mentally. Who has wealth is seen as moral, too, even if not outspoken. In the middle, people are very reserved and distanced, which is for me often uncomfortable, in the east where we moved the mentality is more outgoing and private, which means on the other hand that you simply notice faster with disturbs you (60 percent born out of wedlock, highest abortion rate in the country, disturbing family views in general).