Spiritual was just not a word we used “back then”. When I was younger I always knew there was a God. In my most recent move from one apartment to another, I found things I have not seen nor thought about in a while. I came across my first theology book “Living with God”.  I remember how excited I was to have this book given to me in the 2^nd grade. Somehow I felt like the magic of God was represented in my book!  It was through reading it I would know God better. Then we were told so much about Jesus as we prepared for First communion.  I knew there was something different in me when I made my first communion in second grade!  I remembered feeling like I was glowing and everyone could see how much I loved Jesus. I was confirmed in the fifth grade. I would be a soldier for Christ! That was a very special thing.

At the age of 12, I was diagnosed as a juvenile diabetic. I believed that my faith in God, helped me to realize that God could help me through all things. The scripture that stands out most for me is Matt.28:20 “I am with you all the days, until the completion of the age.”

All throughout my life I guess you could consider me Catholic, piously prayerful and at liturgy regularly. I would learn through these experiences that my decisions would all be geared to Christ.

In my journey of faith in adulthood I met people from other faith traditions. I realized there was more to this life I lived. What struggle I experienced as I started realizing there is this spiritual life! I had been raised Catholic, practiced Catholicism and lived it. Now, in my spiritual life I was beginning to experience a connectedness to all others and creation. This was bigger than my Catholic religion. This is the great universe! We are all made in the image and likeness of God and experience God in different ways. Faith in God is afforded to all humankind.

Then life threw me an even greater curve ball when I realized that all of creation is part of this spiritual life! That the earth, trees, waters all of it was created for us but even more, creation cannot be for our use only. We must all protect it and give it life as it gives us life!

It is a great gift from God to have my spiritual life opened to me ever so slowly deepening my understanding of that thread of God’s great love. A love that has woven me with others and with all of God’s creation giving me that warm “knowing” that all is well and all will be well.

I continue to sit in silence trying to be open to the great mysteries God is revealing to me.