Faithfulness

Before I write a post about my current favorite books, my frustrations with retaining and sharing all the golden nuggets I find within those books, and my conflicts with simply living as a Catholic versus always having to be on guard to defend it.... I will write about a marvelous thing at Church today. 
Because I want to make sure that when I look back on this, and re read some of these posts, that the faithfulness of the Lord was the overarching theme.  I have found in this last year, that he is, as he claims to be, Always, without ceasing, ever Faithful.  And I am amazed every morning by his new demonstrations of that promise. 

Switching churches has been a difficult transition for this family.  We were not bonded at the seams with our former church, but neither were we strangers every week.  We had friends, familiar faces, and at least 2 or more greetings by our first names every Sunday.  It was a place where we felt comfortable, if not always with their theology (in the later months), but always with their congregation.

One of my many specific prayers has consistently been for an "Aaron sidekick to my Moses calling."  First things first, this is the best way I know how to put this prayer into words.  No, I do not think of myself as Moses, and yes, I most certainly know that by the time God said Aaron could come along with Moses, Moses had thoroughly exhausted his excuses for why he was not able to lead the people, maybe even angering the Lord a bit.  So I get why my ditty for my request fits not that much, but so well, at the same time. 

Moses didn't want to go alone.  He wasn't... God was with him.  But Moses was human and failed to realize just how powerful that God in the burning bush was.  I, like Moses, feel as though I am being called out from where I was comfortable into a place that God has prepared for me.  I wish I was called to bring a whole nation of friends with me, but I'm not naïve.  I do, however, pray for friendships.  Supporting ones like Moses was to Aaron, and Aaron was to Moses.  Ones where I am able to have a conversation and have a common understanding of certain words.  Ones where the word Eucharist doesn't divide, and "works" do not intend legalism.  This is my desire when I pray for an Aaron.

I never thought I would look to two 4 year old little boys to answer that request.  But Jesus loves children, and he works magnificently through their small hearts.  My boys attend a new preschool this year.  Closer to home, and nice, but still unfamiliar, especially in my friends department.  Yet after the first few days, they both came home raving about the same little boy; a new best friend for them both.  I met his mom, she is wonderful, and warm, and apparently the feelings for my boys to her son are mutual.  A friendship has begun  (lucky for him he gets a two for one special).

We have been attending our Catholic Church for over a year now, and usually leave Mass saying a quick hello to the RCIA director, because she is apparently the only one who knows we exist in the large parish.  They aren't unkind, just not social.  Today changed my world, however.  Today, at the children's offering, my boys spotted their best friend, from preschool.  And I cried.  Because God is faithful, and he is good.  And he has looked out for me from my conversion, to our preschool choice, to my boys' friend, to his mom, who is Catholic.  They have attended there for 3 years, and her husband is lovely too.  I don't know their story yet, but I know He is faithful.

We also almost didn't pick our son up from the nursery (that was OPEN!)... in time because we were chatting with 3 other people who stopped by, just to say hello, and see how we were doing.  I credit this to sitting in the front row, and being largely visible, but also more visible to a God who knows how many hairs are on my head.  I am being continually humbled by the community that we are becoming a part of, and a God who leads them faithfully to love one another, and us.  

Today was a good day to be a convert.  It was a good day to have sweet 4 year old boys that make wise choices in friends, and it was a good day to sit up close and watch God display his faithfulness, that never ceases, and never fails to come to the aid of a child in need.  This is the God that can blaze in a bush without destroying a leaf, and this is the God who gives us a mission, but promises to never make us do it alone.  Because he is Faithful.