ALWAYS THERE
BY KATHY BETTINGER
Our story begins a good number of years ago. I was a student and Terry was making a pretty small wage working in a factory setting. We both prayed haphazardly. We were not particularly strong in our faith. God was not the center of our lives. We only let Him in when we were in need.
However, God was always there. We were able to purchase our first home at such a phenomenal price that can only be attributed to His providence. We birthed two of our three children while living there. After the birth of our first child I began working as a sonographer at many local facilities. We were making ends meet. I truly believe Mother Mary guided us to have me quit my jobs and stay home and raise our children, a feat that seemed next to impossible. We never looked back nor regretted the decision. Further, we were able to sell our first home for a large profit and build our current home with minimal debt is nothing short of a miracle. All of this was done on a single income, since I was staying home with the kids.
Shortly after, Terry lost his job. But God was still in it. Something happened that very rarely happens: A full time sonographer job opened up at a hospital where I am still employed today.
We wholeheartedly feel the constant providence from “unseen Hands” laid the groundwork for our faith transformation. We were both raised Catholic but this all happened during a time when we were “too busy” to really be attuned to Him. He couldn’t have been more obvious in His love for us and His calling us back to the Church. 13 years later we had an eye-opening moment, at the same mass we had been attending Sunday after Sunday.
While He had always been there, somehow on one particular Sunday our eyes were truly opened to His Real Presence. In one, amazing moment we both awakened to the awareness that this was truly Jesus Christ before us! I can say our lives, our home and our friendships have never been the same since. He is woven into it all. Now we look back on our life together and can see He was always there. He never left. We did. He was always waiting with arms stretched wide open for us to return.
I was moved to overcome my great reservation in sharing this story because I believe God wanted me to say: If ever you question God’s hand in your life, simply recall the true miracles. Recall how time and time again He has helped you truly let go, allowing Him to take control. Daily seek Him in the prayer, “not my will but Yours be done.” (Matthew 6:9-13) And hear Him declare to you:
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him.” (Matthew 7:11)
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