Testimony Time!

padraig · Feb 26, 2017

Tanker said: ↑

I told part of my story in another thread but here's a fuller version

I was born into a Catholic family, went to Catholic school through High School. My parents divorced when I was young and so I grew up with my mom and brother. I was really involved with my faith in my teens. Youth group was so much fun and I sang in church every week. I got involved with retreats after High School. I was helping put on retreats and was still involved with the Youth group. I had been going to a community college and then went to University which required me to move to Northern California (I grew up in So Cal). I slowly fell away from the faith. This isn't really unusual I don't think. I met a nominally Jewish guy who was involved with Eastern religions and the New Age. We married and started a life. The marriage didn't last long and we divorced 2 years later. We had moved to So Cal during that time and so after the divorce I was back in So Cal. I was heavily involved with the New Age and read everything I could. It made sense to me somehow and belief in reincarnation allowed me to become hard hearted. Funny, I never would have seen that about myself at the time but upon reflection, I see it now.

I remarried some years later and we had 2 children. He had a previous marriage with one son and so I have a step-son. We were both Catholic but not practicing. We were just floating along with the culture and neither of us had much faith. We both believed we were still Catholic though and we were “good” people. I believed in a woman’s “choice” and SSM and SSA were ok, I mean, what does it matter if you love someone. Was somewhat of a feminist and believed religion was really only around to control people but stopped short of ever being an Atheist. I just bought ALL the lies of the culture, sorry to say.

I am not even sure what actually turned me. It might have been the presidency of Obama and the degeneration of the culture that started me back. Maybe someone in Heaven or Purgatory, one of my relatives, prayed me back. I am not sure. One day, when my children were 10 and 7, I decided that we needed to get them Baptized and on the road to receiving the Sacraments. My husband didn’t want to have anything to do with it but I went to our local parish and inquired about Baptism. I was worried that they couldn’t get baptized since I had been divorced and remarried. I guess something from my youth stuck with me….lol. I enrolled them in catechism and they started classes.

Shortly after that, I was sitting in my sewing room on a project, and a realization came over me, I was going to hell. If I died at that moment, by my life, I was choosing hell. I just started crying and asking God to forgive me. I felt such sorrow. I also felt fear, but the sorrow I felt for wasting my life with all the nonsense, was choking. I called immediately and set up an appointment for confession and spoke to a priest about my situation. We began the annulment process, received our decrees of nullity 2 years later and then we were convalidated.

I thank God all the time for allowing me the Grace to respond and come back.
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I remember in reading the prophecy from 1969 for the then Fr Ratzinger that he mentioned that the Church as it is now will die but be reborn as people discover the great pain of trying to live their lives bereft of God. Your testimony, Tanker reminds me of this.

I could never the point or meaning to life if there were no God, it would all seem so futile and meaningless. What would be the point of it all? Also were is the comfort inn belief especially when we enter periods of great pain and suffering, as most of will sooner or later. It all reminds me of St Augustine and his conversion.

Beth B · Feb 26, 2017

Don_D said: ↑

This is a great idea Bare with me on this... Kind of a long back story.

My mother divorced my biological Father before I was 1 years old. I grew up hearing stories of his alcoholism and physical abuse and as the years went by I grew very very resentful of my Father. I felt that I must have been really rotten for him and my entire family on his side not to have wanted anything to do with me all those years. My mother remarried 3 more times growing up and each time I had the men in my life ripped away from me when she divorced them. After my first step dad I walled myself off and became very troubled. I might add that it was he who insisted I be baptized to the RCC as a child.

When I came of age I decided that I should try to find my bio Dad. I contacted his sister and the reception was less than warm let me tell you but I managed to get her to give me his last known address with a promise that I would never again contact her. A promise I have kept.

In comes the Salvation Army. The SA has a service where they will help children to locate parents but the parent has the final say in whether or not they want to follow through with contact. This is a pretty big deal and at the time (the 80's) it was extremely hard to find people especially if you did not have things like a SS number. Well they found him and he agreed to meet with me. It was the beginning of a very tumultuous time for me. I still harbored a lot of resentment toward my father and when I met him and he was still an alcoholic and a man with some deep flaws I started to regret the decision I made to find him right off the bat. So, to make a long story short I went out of my way to run him off and he made no attempt to contact me afterward.

A decade had gone by, I had come to have a much deeper relationship with our Lord and he began changing my heart. I spent a lot of time praying each day especially in the mornings. Along the way I had come to terms with my Fathers failings (as well as my own) and had forgiven him and prayed for him regularly. My wife and I had our first child together and life was very good, with the exception of the regret I had over my anger toward my Father and how I had deliberately run him off. I couldn't get out of my mind that I now had a child who would never know her Grandfather or anyone on his side of my family.

I prayed about this and one morning sitting on my porch just asked our Lord that if it is what he wants that he somehow help me to come into contact with my Father again, so that I could make amends to him and maybe set things right between us. I asked this in his name and ended my prayer with His will not mine be done.

I went to work and it was a day like any other, I headed home and when I walked through the door the phone began to ring. Oh great I thought. Mom. My Mom has a tendency to talk for hours on the phone and its almost impossible to get her off the line. Thankfully, my wife answered as I was throwing my stuff on the table and when I turned around she had eyes the size of saucers. I started thinking the worst. I had recently lost two family members 1 day apart from one another.

She looked at me and said "It's your Dad."

I think about this often. I made amends to my Father thanks to God and we had 9 months of chatting and a few visits before he passed. Time to get to know each other a bit and just enjoy each others company. He never had a chance to meet his Grand daughter. Like I said, he was deeply flawed. I didn't want to pressure him about it so I didn't. I pray for him and light candles for him from time to time. God truly hears our prayers.
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I just loved this....how God put the humility in your heart to forgive. You will never have to live a day on this earth with regrets! Your reunion in heaven will be amazing. How blessed you are.

Beth B · Feb 26, 2017

Mac said: ↑

What has God done for me personally?
He has given me the very best of wives.
And that is worth a lot.
When I was growing up a priest once told us to find our potential spouse at the altar rail,rather than at the pub or night club or wherever.
And that is what I did.
It was good advice.
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I'm sending this to my unmarried son sweet story!

Beth B · Feb 26, 2017

Andy3 said: ↑

I can't wait to watch the testimony above. I have not seen that one. This has been my favorite testimony for some time. It is amazing!!

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Andy,

I loved your beautiful story! It gives hope to many who have family far way from God!

I especially love this video! It is one of my top five videos ever! This guy is saving many a soul. Thank God for Marino and the power of God! There is hope for everyone! Bless you Andy.

Beth B · Feb 26, 2017

Tanker said: ↑

I told part of my story in another thread but here's a fuller version

I was born into a Catholic family, went to Catholic school through High School. My parents divorced when I was young and so I grew up with my mom and brother. I was really involved with my faith in my teens. Youth group was so much fun and I sang in church every week. I got involved with retreats after High School. I was helping put on retreats and was still involved with the Youth group. I had been going to a community college and then went to University which required me to move to Northern California (I grew up in So Cal). I slowly fell away from the faith. This isn't really unusual I don't think. I met a nominally Jewish guy who was involved with Eastern religions and the New Age. We married and started a life. The marriage didn't last long and we divorced 2 years later. We had moved to So Cal during that time and so after the divorce I was back in So Cal. I was heavily involved with the New Age and read everything I could. It made sense to me somehow and belief in reincarnation allowed me to become hard hearted. Funny, I never would have seen that about myself at the time but upon reflection, I see it now.

I remarried some years later and we had 2 children. He had a previous marriage with one son and so I have a step-son. We were both Catholic but not practicing. We were just floating along with the culture and neither of us had much faith. We both believed we were still Catholic though and we were “good” people. I believed in a woman’s “choice” and SSM and SSA were ok, I mean, what does it matter if you love someone. Was somewhat of a feminist and believed religion was really only around to control people but stopped short of ever being an Atheist. I just bought ALL the lies of the culture, sorry to say.

I am not even sure what actually turned me. It might have been the presidency of Obama and the degeneration of the culture that started me back. Maybe someone in Heaven or Purgatory, one of my relatives, prayed me back. I am not sure. One day, when my children were 10 and 7, I decided that we needed to get them Baptized and on the road to receiving the Sacraments. My husband didn’t want to have anything to do with it but I went to our local parish and inquired about Baptism. I was worried that they couldn’t get baptized since I had been divorced and remarried. I guess something from my youth stuck with me….lol. I enrolled them in catechism and they started classes.

Shortly after that, I was sitting in my sewing room on a project, and a realization came over me, I was going to hell. If I died at that moment, by my life, I was choosing hell. I just started crying and asking God to forgive me. I felt such sorrow. I also felt fear, but the sorrow I felt for wasting my life with all the nonsense, was choking. I called immediately and set up an appointment for confession and spoke to a priest about my situation. We began the annulment process, received our decrees of nullity 2 years later and then we were convalidated.

I thank God all the time for allowing me the Grace to respond and come back.
Click to expand...

Your story is the perfect, beautiful example of Gods grace!

Beth B · Feb 27, 2017

padraig said: ↑

I remember in reading the prophecy from 1969 for the then Fr Ratzinger that he mentioned that the Church as it is now will die but be reborn as people discover the great pain of trying to live their lives bereft of God. Your testimony, Tanker reminds me of this.

I could never the point or meaning to life if there were no God, it would all seem so futile and meaningless. What would be the point of it all? Also were is the comfort inn belief especially when we enter periods of great pain and suffering, as most of will sooner or later. It all reminds me of St Augustine and his conversion.

Click to expand...

What a beautiful clip.....

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