Religion and Faith in Everyday Life

[SlightlyCatholic]

So, since this is my area of interest, I'd figured I'd start a thread here about the role that religion plays in all of your lives. I realize that this is a private and sacred topic and I wouldn't want anyone feeling uncomfortable by replying.However, if anyone would like to respond, I'd appreciate any input you might want to give regarding what faith and religion do for you every day (or what they don't do, if you happen to be athiest or agnostic). Thanks everyone, and God bless.

[ang1sgt]

Tim,

Tough subject for most.

I have had a number of years that tested my faith. Before and after Desert Storm I had numerous things that pulled me away from my Church. Some of these things were my marriage to a Catholic Woman and my promises to the Catholic Church to raise my children as Catholic. As a very young man I accepted this to appease my new wife and her family.

For a long time I allowed my wife to do what she did. As a Christian man, raised American Baptist, and currently Southern Baptist, I abdicated my position as head of household when it came to my beliefs and my desire to see my children truly understand about salvation and God's Plan for them. This later in life has caused me many problems for myself.

I firmly believe that a good foundation based in the Church, the Bible, and God, leads to a well-grounded individual. One that when hard times come, they can fall back to their roots in the Church and not drop fully into the mire that this World provides.

Late in my Career in the USAF/Air Guard I had the chance to apply for the position of First Sergeant. I prayed about this. The first time in a long time that I actually put effort into my prayers. I put my "package" together, submitted it, went through the selection process, and was selected to be the new First Sergeant for my Squadron.

After 8 weeks of training at Maxwell AFB. I returned to my Unit and started to work with my assigned Commander. After a short while, we both clicked together well and we asked each other about our religion and faith. Both of us are Born-Again Christians, that believe in Prayer. We kept that at the forefront of our dealing with our Unit. With 255 people, and up to 400 during a deployment, we had a full plate of problem that would arise.

During this time period, I did not have a Church home. It's been many many years since I have. Due to the faith and Love, a friend got me to consider going back to Church. To find someplace that I felt comfortable with. She kept after me, almost to the point of calling some of my local churches.

I am now in a Church that I feel good about. I have a Pastor that PREACHES and TEACHES from the Bible and not some canned monotone sermon from a book that the Church approves. The Church Membership CARES about it's Guests and it's Members. At a time when I was down and having problems, they prayed for me and my family. They came and visited my daughter and new grandson at the Hospital during some very tough first weeks of his life. They were there as strangers to my family, but friends in Christ to me.

This Sunday after many prayers and much talking, my oldest Daughter is coming to Church with me. She's never asked to come to Church with me, and I welcome this with open arms. I believe that each of us needs to come to terms with our Faith and our Salvation. My daughter is making that first step, and with her will be her boy friend and my new grandson. My many prayers are starting to be answered. I continue to pray for guidance and support for my daughter and her family.

I have many people to thank for this. My best friend for her Love, Faith and Devotion and the willingness to stick with me and push me to where I needed to be. To my Church Membership that has Loved me and accepted me for who I am. To my Pastor Cliff, who has taken the time to help me through so much, and to take that time to be with me at some hard times.
And most of all to God for listening to this humbled, Crusty old Sergeant and helping me to realize that he has been with me through out my life's path.

AMEN!

[SlightlyCatholic]

Thank you for your heartfelt and certainly personal insights. Your faith is something to be proud of, and I can tell that you truly cherish it and make it part of your everyday life. Great to hear!

[Woody]

Atheist attend church when ordered .Doesn't mean anything to me except
tradition.Some I am hostile against ,Others just ignore.

[reddog]

Tim, for the mere fact you are following in the foot steps of our Creator and wanting to serve Him and the military, just speaks volumns of your character, period. I have and had, the deepest respect for those of your kind and have witnessed some incredible acts of bravery, with the only weapon used, being the Holy Bible and water. Lead on, Padre!
Easy Brother,
Reddog...

[SlightlyCatholic]

Reddog,

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am simply trying to do what I believe God wants me to do...which, God-willing, will be ministering to one of our Armed Service Branches as a Catholic Priest. God bless!

[dukesix]

Well said all of you! Faith is a day to day endeavor.....don't ever assume God's plan! He may have other things in mind!

Dukesix

[Kiwi]

God is there with me in everyday life, he is never way from me.

I personally could not imagine him not being there.

But I don't push my belief on to others ( as we call it bible bash), God gave us free will for a reason, and for those who take a different path, I wish all the luck in the world with that.

[Smiles]

I was raised Catholic, nuns and I were never the best of friends early on. Nuns don't like to be proven wrong too often, go figure. I never felt comfortable with the religion, too many unanswered questions.

I never questioned or doubted God's existence but there were many times that I had to stop and ask God why so much was happening to me as a kid. I'm a survivor of child abuse, folks looked the other way, child services wouldn't help...where was God?

As a teen I was raped, couldn't tell my folks they thought the guy who did it was a saint. Where was God and why was this happening to me?

As an adult I was married 16+ years to a soldier who couldn't see past his nose. I'm a survivor of 16 yrs of domestic violence, why did any of this have to happen to me? My ex was the one who introduced me to the Baptist faith back in '89, I found my salvation and was baptized that same year.

I've learned and listened over the years, I remember praying through every hateful situation I've been through and I was finally able to answer my own question. God was there every time holding my hand, when I fell he helped me back to my feet, when I hurt he healed my bruises, when I cried he wiped away my tears...he never left me nor forsook me. We can't choose our parents but I did choose my mate back then, everything that happened was due to that choice I made awhile back. After looking back on it all, God was preparing me to be right where I am today and because of that I'm able to raise my six kids alone, attended school and am now a bench technician...we're making it and we will rise above those who tried to hold us back all of these years. My 6 kids and I attend church at least 3 times a week, are we perfect...nope but we're saved by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God's also given me a best friend to beat all, I'm so proud of his accomplishments...he's overcome a great deal in his life and passed many tests on his faith and my family here at Grunt's with whom I've been able to rely on when life got a bit hairy! I am truly blessed! If you can't see God in your life, then you're not looking hard enough!

Smiles

[SlightlyCatholic]

My 6 kids and I attend church at least 3 times a week, are we perfect...nope but we're saved by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That's great to hear, Smiles. God bless you for your faith and for allowing God to be a part of your life. Good for you!