Throughout her story she wove the names of several female saints whose names I had heard tossed about but was not familiar with all of their stories: Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Faustina of Poland, Edith Stein of Germany, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, and Mary of Nazareth. These women's stories and their power in Campell's journey is captivating and has me excited to start reading their writings on my own. I appreciated reading about her journey into a deeper faith of God within the Catholic church. After finishing the book, I read it again because her story contained so much wisdom that touched me deep within my heart. I am thankful for books such as this one because it encourages me to draw closer to God even though the journey of life is full of heartache and joy, pain and happiness, and sorrow and singing.
There are several quotes that I want to remember and contemplate so I'm going to share them here.
"Sometimes we have to wait for people... But while we wait, we get better." (Campbell, 133)
This quote was said by her father towards the end of his life. And I found it to be so encouraging and contains great truth that I have seen in my own life. At this point in my life, I am waiting for a husband and it is hard. Yet, I am a better person for the waiting and I believe the same for the unknown man I will marry. As I look back over the last 15 years of my adult years, I can see how God has used my singleness to draw me closer to Him.
"No one knows the ways of God, not fully. He is a merciful and loving father who works all things to the good for those who love him, yes. but he does not answer to me, or to any of us, for the mysterious ways he does his redeeming work. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts," scripture says, "and my ways are not your ways" (Isa. 55:8). In the face of such mystery, the only appropriate response is humble gratitude. It is the gratitude of a child who recognizers her utter dependence on God for every blessing and trusts that he will turn even her sorrows to joys - in a way and at a time of his choosing, not hers. (Campbell, 167)
Such a difficult request. Humility and thankfulness wrapped together. The idea of being thankful for the things God has given is familiar to most Christians. Yet, humbly accepting that God knows what is best for me is often very difficult because it directly conflicts with my desires. Often I think I know what is best for me to only discover that God thinks differently. Generally the result is some kind of emotional, spiritual, or physical pain. Being single and living alone gives the impression of independence and the thought of being dependent upon someone else is humbling. The last line of this quote gives me great hope that God will take the broken pieces of my life - the things that cause so many anguished tears - and turn them into something more beautiful and stronger than before.
"How liberating it must be to stop evading, questioning, or complaining about your trials and start embracing them as opportunities to draw closer to God, to realize that even if Jesus is all you have, he is enough." Campbell, 168)
Perhaps, someday, I'll get to this point. I need a daily reminder that Jesus is enough because sometimes I think I need more.
"In a world always tempted to prize women more for their fecundity and sexual allure than for their souls - a temptation typified by the ancient "goddess" cults in which prostitution , forced abortions, and female infanticide were commonplace - Mary's perpetual virginity challenges the status quo. Her complete consecration to God confirms the value and importance of women for their one sales, even apart from their ability to provide sexual pleasure or large numbers of heirs to men. As Edith Stein puts it, the ideal of Christian virginity embodied in Mary presents a "basic change in the status women" affection all women, whether single, consecrated, or married. Marriage and motherhood are no longer the only ways a woman can serve God, Edith says, and even for those who choose marriage and motherhood, Mary's total gift of self to God amid motherhood reminds them that their first priority is fidelity to God. " (Campbell, 190)
I learned a new word in this section as I had to look up fecundity in the dictionary and discovered it basically means having offspring. This particular quote is very encouraging because it reminds me that my value is not based upon my ability to produce offspring or the beauty of my figure. I am valued for myself.
Advent Reading
Part 1
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