I was 15, entirely uncertain of who I was, confused about the world around me. It was late March; I sat in the van with my aunt, my skin warmed by the magnified sun. She handed me a Bible and an awkward, obviously rehearsed speech about Jesus and knowing God followed the transaction. My heart beat faster in my chest. Sweat glistened on her brow. She was nervous, and that made me nervous. I cried, and she held my hand. This was the first time I clearly saw the boundless love of God at work around me.
It was this beautiful transforming moment that would tear my family apart. Over the next four years that followed this event, my mother and aunt did not speak at all. Christmases, Thanksgivings, birthdays, Mother’s Days, they all came and went every year, and every year we did not speak to the rest of the family. It was the Bible that caused my mother and aunt to not speak to one another for four years. Their relationship gave familiarity to the protagonist vs. antagonist viewpoint. My aunt became the enemy in my mother’s eyes, which made it extremely difficult for me to remain in relationship with her. For some families distance might be considered the norm, but in my family, this was unheard of. Prior to what we now refer to as “the incident”, I had spent every weekend with my extended family; no one was considered a distant relative.
What I didn’t know at the time was that God was using those four years of silence to mature, transform and mend broken hearts. Though the distance was painful, I am a different person because of this experience. Just as James teaches, trials and tribulations produce perseverance, which creates a spiritual maturity and completeness in Christ.
This past year, God has answered prayer in a powerful and meaningful way. We’ve spent holidays, birthdays, and day to day weekends together as a family. My mom has even moved back to her hometown where her entire family, immediate and extended, resides. There is a reality about one of the complexities of God that I’ve learned through this. I believe that God is in the business of restoring broken-beyond-repair relationships. I’ve seen this happen time and time again, and I have a hope that this truth will continue to resonate within me and in my life.
Hi Katherine,
I really appreciate your testimony. I too know the difficulty of family strife when you take the Lord seriously. For me it was when I decided to turn down an engineering job and enter seminary instead. I look forward to talking more with you about it over our trip.
hey Kat,
I remember you telling me this story I think it was at camp. I hope you have a great time in India, I miss you and will see you soon!
I’ve been thinking of you every day and praying for you every night as I lay my head on your pillow, I don’t want to wash the pillow case cause it still smells like you. I love you so much and I’m excited to hear what God is doing in you during this time. I miss you a bunch!
Hey kiddo I miss and love you so much. I hope things are going well and you are changing and helping others change. I smiled to myself when reading your testimony.
“I cried, and she held my hand. This was the first time I clearly saw the boundless love of God at work around me.” We will talk about if this is what I meant when I was talking at Angelo’s Baptism 😉
I miss you like fricken crazy. Heather through a awsome suprise party for my gradutaion today and as awsome as it was I kept thinking how I wished you and Mel were there.
Anyway it is 5:26am and now that I posted out here I can sleep. You know you in my prayers just keep doing what your doing and let God keep doing what He is doing.
Brad