Tag: #firsts

Monday August 5th was a day of a lot of “firsts” for me. It was the first time I served as a lector for the week day mass at Holy Family. I had been asked in the past, but declined because I was wearing a Guinness t-shirt. However, when I was asked this time, I accepted. Although, this time I had ridden my motorcycle to mass, so I was bedecked in riding gear – textile riding pants, a Kevlar jacket and riding shoes. I joke that I look a little bit like a storm trooper when I put the helmet on. But I figured God was trying to tell that He really didn’t care what I was wearing, that He wanted me to participate more fully in the mass. So I said yes.

I went up prior to the service beginning to get acclimated with the text and familiarize myself with the reading. I mean, I had never done this before – well, I had, in grade school when it was a big deal to be selected to read during your classes mass. Let’s just say I have not read at mass in over 35 years.

One of my former high school teachers typically attends that same mass. As I was walking back from the podium, she asked me if I was going to chant the Alleluia. I told her we would have to see if God inspired me to do so. He didn’t. Reading is one thing, singing is something totally different.

Another first for me on Monday was learning the art of riding my motorcycle in the rain. You see, I am a complete and total novice when it comes to riding. While I have logged over 1,250 miles since getting my license in May, this is still very new to me. And the thought of riding in the rain frankly scared me quite a bit. (It’s right up there with driving on gravel – but we’ll save that for another time). Experienced riders tell you horror stories about riding in the rain, how you can slip, how the water mixes with oil on the pavement causing treacherous conditions, how the rain can cause visibility issues for other drivers, and the list goes on. So I had decided that I would simply avoid riding in the rain.

Because of this unspoken oath I made to myself, when the skies began to look even a little bit gray yesterday afternoon, I determined it was time to leave work and head home. I certainly didn’t want to risk getting caught in any rain. I put on my gear and left the building; fired up the bike and took off for home. I wasn’t even a half a mile from work when it began to sprinkle. No big deal, I thought. It’s just a few drops of water. By the time I got to the Lovers Lane intersection (maybe another 1/4 mile away), it had turned into a lovely summer shower. Okay, I got this. By the time I made it to the Wintersville Kroger (maybe another mile or two down the road), it was a full blown downpour, drops so big, falling so hard that it actually hurt through my storm trooper gear. At this point I thought about all that I had learned in the motorcycle safety course and assured myself, “All of your training has prepared you for this moment.” Corny, I know, but it helped me focus and get through the torrential downpour on my bike.

I was driving a bit slower than normal, consciously avoiding streaming water, standing water and other drivers who might splash me, but I was being safe and practicing the techniques that I learned in class. By the time I got the bottom of Reeds Mill Hill (less than a mile from my house), the rain had stopped. In fact, it had not even rained on the top of the hill, completely dry. What are the chances of that? But it was another first and a wonderful learning experience – although a bit nerve-wracking at the time.

My final “first” of the day, was taking steps to start an official blog. I have realized that I enjoy writing and sharing my faith journey with others through words. In what began as reflections during travels, particularly when I worked for the Franciscan Sisters, TOR, became a way for me to share my faith, my experiences, and how God has worked in my life, particularly over the past few years. I began sharing some of those reflections on Facebook, with friends, and have received some pretty amazing and encouraging feedback – including many suggestions that I should write a book. So this “blog” is the first step towards making that a reality.

For those of you have read my prose in the past, provided feedback, comments, shared it with others or simply liked my words, Thank You! You are the reason I have decided to take this step forward. Well you and God.

You see, while I was on vacation last week, lying on the beach pondering my life (all of my life) – that’s a lot to think about; I had this profound sense that God was telling me that he wanted time to share about my relationship with Him through my writing. Trust me when I say, this was astonishing, because I don’t typically hear God’s prompting so clearly nor do I typically respond in an auditory manner. And then I answered out loud to no one but God, “if that’s what you want me to do, I’ll do it.”

So that led to the question of “how do I accomplish this?” So I Googled Christian/Catholic publishers, perused LinkedIn, considered reaching out seeking advice or guidance through the LinkedIn community, reviewed freelance writing posts, and simply considered just continuing to share my reflections on Facebook like I have been.

I have been reading the book Girl Stop Apologizing, by Rachel Hollis. She has a lot of good advice. But I think what I took away from her book was how she began her career with a blog. So I thought that might be the way for me to begin this adventure and see where it leads me. So I signed up and here it is. My first “real” blog entry.

Forgive me, as I do not know the proper terms for blogging, but I guess like everything, I will learn as I go. I have found that experience is the best teacher. I hope you will join me on this adventure as I travel this path, for me it is the road less traveled (thank you Robert Frost), to share my journey of faith and my ever evolving relationship with God. Please pray for me and I will continue to pray for you.

Blessings, Jennifer