Another post from the trunk
I wrote a post a couple of days ago when this was fresh in my heart but the website was under renovation so it did not post.(I forgot to save the draft) Anyway I will attempt to do it again. Wednesday evening my grown daughter returned to the United States from a trip to London. It was a combination of vacation and school. She returned on Wednesday evening - flying out of Heathrow - London into Ronald Reagan - Washington D.C. Thursday morning a purported terrorist plot was foiled - using the same airports. Time for rejoicing and Thanking God for His provision.
What makes this such a heart song is that in the process of experiencing life in another country my daughter met and was swept off of her feet by a young gentleman in London. Her heart was so happy, she was sharing London with someone that was treating her like a queen. I wanted to be happy for her. I wanted this to finally be the one that was going to bring into her like what she was looking for. But I was full of cautious skepticism and downright fear. This did not go over to well when I expressed them to her - it may have been in my delivery but I was filled with a sense of urgency.
Do not get me wrong - I was not saying STOP just GO SLOW. You see this gentleman lives in London and practices a faith that is in direct opposition to what she as a catholic believes in. It discounts the basis of what her faith is. That in itself was cause for concern but more importantly is the fact that the culture he was raised in does not believe in the equality of the genders. To try and mesh religious and cultural differences into a harmonious life is extremely difficult if not downright impossible.
This was a time when I HAD to get in the trunk and pray like I have never prayed before. I KNOW this daughter of mine and there was nothing I could say that would penetrate that exterior wall of hers to let her know that I was not trying to tell her what to do I was only being a mother that was worried about her.
The fairy tale aspects of the whole thing was at times wonderful - and at times a screaming warning - THIS IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE BECAUSE IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Every thing he said and did was just too perfect and that is what has me cautious. I just have to stay in the trunk on this one and believe with every fiber of my being that as much as I love her God loves her more and HE will protect her. If this is His will for her He will bless it and if it is not I pray she heed the checks in her spirit.
I guess one of these days I will be able to spend a whole day on the outside of the trunk but PRAISE God I know where the trunk is and how to get there.
em
What makes this such a heart song is that in the process of experiencing life in another country my daughter met and was swept off of her feet by a young gentleman in London. Her heart was so happy, she was sharing London with someone that was treating her like a queen. I wanted to be happy for her. I wanted this to finally be the one that was going to bring into her like what she was looking for. But I was full of cautious skepticism and downright fear. This did not go over to well when I expressed them to her - it may have been in my delivery but I was filled with a sense of urgency.
Do not get me wrong - I was not saying STOP just GO SLOW. You see this gentleman lives in London and practices a faith that is in direct opposition to what she as a catholic believes in. It discounts the basis of what her faith is. That in itself was cause for concern but more importantly is the fact that the culture he was raised in does not believe in the equality of the genders. To try and mesh religious and cultural differences into a harmonious life is extremely difficult if not downright impossible.
This was a time when I HAD to get in the trunk and pray like I have never prayed before. I KNOW this daughter of mine and there was nothing I could say that would penetrate that exterior wall of hers to let her know that I was not trying to tell her what to do I was only being a mother that was worried about her.
The fairy tale aspects of the whole thing was at times wonderful - and at times a screaming warning - THIS IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE BECAUSE IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Every thing he said and did was just too perfect and that is what has me cautious. I just have to stay in the trunk on this one and believe with every fiber of my being that as much as I love her God loves her more and HE will protect her. If this is His will for her He will bless it and if it is not I pray she heed the checks in her spirit.
I guess one of these days I will be able to spend a whole day on the outside of the trunk but PRAISE God I know where the trunk is and how to get there.
em
2 Comments:
At 6:47 AM,
Law-Rah said…
I am very glad you can be so open an honest in this forum (freeing, isn't it?) Considering this post is about me, I do feel the need to respond. (Plus, when have you ever known me to keep my mouth shut?) I am not sure I could ever respond to some of your religious points mostly because you and I have not seen eye to eye on a lot of those issues for over five years. I have no doubt this situation will not change that, and if anything, probably emphasize our differences. All I can tell you is what I have already told you: Ben and I believe in the same God. If you choose to go further and rely on your "black and white facts" then so be it. I grew up thinking Catholicism was the only way. My own parents' transformation away from the Catholic Church has opened my mind to show me there are other ways that lead back to the same God. I only ask that you keep an open mind and please know that these are things that he and I talk about...openly and honestly. Things my Catholic boyfriends over the years have never been willing to discuss.
As for the gender equality point, how a man treats a woman is within his own heart. It is not within some subculture of rules in some far away country. When his friend said to me "a man never walks behind a woman", Ben turned to me and said, "you will always walk right by my side." I keep thinking back to a story I once heard. (I may not have it completely correct because it was a long time ago.) This was a story about the new husband of a young Em coming home one day to his wife in pig-tails and short shorts and telling her “you are a mother and wife now, you need to start dressing like it.” She cut her hair. Dare I say this was not your typical gender equal situation...and we all know it turned out just fine.
When you and I had our disagreement, Ben said to me (without knowing what our disagreement was about) "I do not know your mother, but I respect her. She is your mother and you need to love and respect her too." All I ask is that you return that level of respect to him. He deserves it. Regardless, I am not sure I like the image of my mother hiding in a trunk.
At 7:04 AM,
Law-Rah said…
Oh yeah, and I love you:-)
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