Jennifer at Conversion Diary has done it again — inspired me to the point of feeling compelled to bring her words here so that my readers can experience the same.
Her words are particularly powerful to me for several reasons. One, because of her incredible writing ability. Two, because of the honesty of her revelations. Three, because she is…HELLO!…a mother of four young children, one of them a tiny infant. And still, she finds a way to carve out time to share her thought-provoking discoveries with the wider world. There’s no doubt in my mind that God is using this woman, even within the confines of her home. In fact, her words are more impactful to me because she writes them from the confines of home. It just proves to me that God will use us wherever and however we are.
Today, Jennifer writes about her experience last night of attempting to go to Confession. The church was packed and the lines long, so she ended up having to leave to try again another day. I imagine Jennifer was very aware of her baby’s feeding schedule as she sized up the volumes of people compared to the number of priests. I’m sure she looked at her watch to do the math and knew it wasn’t going to work. I remember it well: long lines do not go well with lactation. Sometimes, you have to make an alternate plan. But here’s what’s so wonderful about it. Even though Jennifer’s plan to go to Confession “failed,” she still managed to write a wonderfully thought-provoking post about her reflections, even in unmet expectations. Even in the imperfection of her life, she breathes new life into her experiences. And she does it in a way that is so refreshingly real and down to earth. As a new Christian, Jennifer weaves through her world in a way that is far from condescending. I wouldn’t say childlike, because she is a deep thinker, but she approaches her writing with honesty and conviction, and that is what keeps drawing me back.
I don’t think you have to be Catholic to appreciate what Jennifer shares here. Anyone who seeks to know the mind of God will come away with something to ponder. Through her observations of the lines at Confession, Jennifer comes to some important conclusions that I’m certain will add depth to your Holy Week. And I’m open for comments, so if you have a moment, please tell me what you thought about her words.
Peace to you!
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