The Anchor, My Mission, May 18 Daily Reflection

The anchor sitting at the front of a boat

My daughter and I went on a fieldtrip last week on a local cruise boat. It was a wonderful trip together. We searched the entire boat, just exploring all the new objects and found the anchor. My Dad always said “Faith is like an anchor in life if you don’t have it you can easily spin out of control and you are no longer grounded in this life”.

I grew up in a very ordinary middle class, Catholic family 4 kids, 2 parents, a stay at home mom and a banker for a dad. Nothing out of the ordinary happened it was a very steady, normal, fun childhood. My parents are still married it has been 43 years now. They are the anchor that set the example of marriage for me. As a pre teen I remember asking about other religions. We always went to church every Sunday without fail. I had friends around the neighborhood that had never stepped foot into a church. I never judged their family for not going to church I didn’t really think about it all that much as a child.

 Then as I grew older I thought about other ways of worship. As a sophomore in high school I babysat for a woman, for the next 6 years, who attended many different types of Christian Churches, she loved to pray out loud in the spur of the moment with me, she helped to form me. My freshmen year in college I started to work as a secretary for a couple out of their home who were very involved in their Baptist Faith, they helped to form me also. My senior year in high school I visited some different Churches, Baptist, Methodist, Evangelical and non denominational Christian. It was very eye opening to see all the different ways that people worshipped God.

 I remember asking my Dad what he thought about different religions he said “Lori, we are all trying to reach the same point in life, the center of it all God, call Him whatever name you want, higher being etc. We are just coming to him from different directions (i.e. different religions). We think we each have the right directions and some think that others have the wrong directions. If we are trying to be good and live our lives to help others then we are going in the same direction.” 

I was asked recently why if I am a practicing Catholic (which I am) I don’t talk about my religion on this blog my answer was and will remain “Religion is not my mission.” My mission is to bring people closer to God. I want people to know that God is with them always, they are never alone. I want people to know that God loves them unconditionally just as they are. I want people to know that God will forgive them all of their wrong doings and bad choices, they have only to ask and the slate will be cleaned. I want people to know that they have support in raising their children in this crazy world. I want people to find that anchor in life so they can steady themselves and not spin out of control. I want people to find their faith in God in the love of each other. I want people to witness the presence of God in all that surrounds them their children, family, nature and wisdom. My calling from God is to spread those messages as far as I possibly can on a daily basis from the words God places in my heart daily. “All are welcome in this place!”

My prayer for each of you who read my blog is that you can look within and find your faith. That you will embrace God’s love and share it with your children, your family, your friends and your little corner of this world. Life is about trying to be good, the best you can be, and helping others. I will pray that you find that anchor and let it steady you all the days of your life!