Closing in on the finish line.

So 5 days and counting till my Wife and I make the huge leap of faith and get Baptized. It seems like such a short time since we started this incredibly exciting and often times scary trip. Now with the finish line so close at hand, it seems so much larger and intimidating than it did weeks ago. Part of me questions if I am doing the right thing. I wonder if I am being foolish. After all I spent decades without any sort of real spiritual anchor and I did just fine. So now, so late in life, what makes me really think that I am doing the right thing?

I guess the “easy” answer to that is because I have faith. I have faith that all of the amazing miracles and signs that have guided us this far have not led us wrong. I have faith that no matter how strong my fears are that there is some incredible force out there who will help me face them. I have faith that finally after so many years in the Wilderness I am finally moving towards the light of Home.

Like I said, that is the “easy” answer because it is the simplest. But there are other answers too which aren't as simple, but just as strong. Monday nights are the nights when our amazing Elders come over and visit with us to make sure we are doing well and to help us learn a little bit more about our new Faith. I can never say enough good things about all of the amazing Missionaries and the heartfelt love and devotion they bring into our lives. One Elder told us that he truly believed that WE were the reason he was sent on his Mission so that he could help us find our way Home. Words cannot describe how intensely moving and loving that is to us. So our Missionaries and their incredible strength of devotion and faith is another reason why I believe we are on the right path.

The amazing members of our Church have literally gone out of their way since we joined to make us feel loved and welcome. At no time (Even though I do tease the Elders and the members of my Geezer Class otherwise) have we ever felt pressured to do more. Our new Family has let us learn and grow at our own speed with nothing but love and support the entire way. They are the reason I believe we are on the right path.

I have seen literally miracles occur ever since we began this journey. I don't mean just good things happening, but very literally miracles. Some of them might strike you as trivial, but to me they are as much a sign of Heavenly Father's Hand as the parting of the Red Sea.

A good example which most mind find trivial is our oldest cat, Willow. Ever since she was a kitten she has had severe Litter Box Avoidance issues where she would completely ignore the litter boxes no matter how clean they were and do her business on the floors. No matter what we tried, she would never use the litter box. We were terrified that the trauma of moving to a new home would cause ever more adverse reactions from her. However, from pretty much the first week we were in our new house, she was completely relaxed and content AND she has been using her litter boxes every single day. Doesn't really compare to the Loaves and Fishes, but to us it is truly a miracle.

On our last trip back to Warner Robins, GA to meet the movers, we had a flat tire out in literally the middle of nowhere. Our GPS couldn't find a tire place anywhere that carried the odd sized tire our car uses. We were at our wits end because we were stuck 60 miles from anywhere rolling down the Interstate at 50 MPH on our doughnut spare. We were stressed and grumpy and more than a little bit scared. Finally, I prayed to God for help. Immediately we both felt better and after stopping briefly at a cast iron cookware store, my wife found a small, family operated service station in a small town that just happened to have a used tire in the size we needed. We were fixed and on the road again in less than an hour.

There are four or five more tales I could tell that I believe are true miracles that were gifted to us by God even before we made the decision to be Baptized. Like I have said in past blogs, so many things have happened to us or been done for us that tell me that we are making the right decision. We have found our way Home again and nothing will ever take that away from us.

Amen