Sharing the Faith

Sharing the Faith
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I have always shared my faith with others, usually on a one on one basis. I always have been one of those people that when someone sits down on the park bench beside me they will find themselves spilling their heart out to this stranger beside them. It used to freak me out when I was young and hadn't come to understand that it is a gift that God gave me. I guess that's why I have always worked in a field that allows me to help people, with their credit card, their bank account, their medical products, their product needs. This is where I am comfortable. I'm not a sales person but I am able to influence people with my own enthusiasm. I just don't have the self esteem or courage to make a living in sales. I always end up feeling I'm taking advantage of someone, I can empathize with their situation and can't close the sale.

Except with my faith.

I fully believe that faith in God and believing in Jesus and his teachings is something that EVERYONE NEEDS.  Yesterday, I was teaching my inquiry class after dismissal from Mass, and we were talking about Heaven. But before we started, we discussed what had happened in our lives since last weeks class. One young woman that I had given some CD's about topics we discussed a couple weeks before, told me she has listened to the "Forgiveness" talk. She was thrilled with it, and went on to tell me how it had not only influenced her feelings and issues that she had been having, but how she had SHARED what she learned with a co-worker that was having a bad day! My Lord and God, I am making a difference! Praise God! This is what it is about when Jesus asks us to share our Faith!

We went on to talk about scripture teachings about Heaven, and stories we had heard about people that had "near death" experiences. I also shared a book that I recommend, "Heaven is forReal" by Todd Burpo. In this book, the writer describes how they discovered their four year old son had had a near death experience and went to Heaven. It is a wonderful story and made so much more believable because there is no guile in a child of that age. Three and four year old children are so matter of fact and young Colton talks about Heaven in the same way he'd talk about what he did at kindergarten that day.

Another comment on this story, "catholic" in the Greek means "universal" so the Catholic Church is the "Universal Church". The Church teaches that all Baptized Christians are part of the "universal" church, so Heaven is not just for the full members of the Catholic Church, but for all that believe. ( See the Catechism #1271) So the fact that this is a protestant minister telling the story makes no difference from the stand point of Faith. “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” Mk 9:37

I need to read the book again now because it got me so excited about the prospect of Heaven one day.

Well that is all for today, God Bless! Share your Faith!

Blessings,

The Catholic Lady ©