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Becoming Orthodox, One Year Later

Today is the calendar anniversary of my chrismation, 27 May, which arrives before the liturgical anniversay, Pentecost (which is almost a month later this year, 15 June, or Father’s Day). Such is the way of moveable feasts.

I would never have expected to have the sort of first year as Orthodox as I have had. I fully expected to be tested and tried, but such expectations had more to do with the internal struggles that Christians face in their overcoming of sin: fighting against thoughts and desires which put one at odds with Christ, the struggle to maintain peace of heart, and so on. I did not expect to have the testing and trials to be thrust on me from without. I remember reading or hearing a godly man say that external trials come because we are not strong enough to engage actively with the internal ones. God must know that about me.

But it has not been just an endless series of unrelenting pains. There have been moments of joy and deep peace. I have written on this blog about these: My first few days after chrismation and the experience of the Holy Spirit I was given. The joy of St. Nicholas and the healing I received from his prayers and the myrrh from his relics. Most of all, the continuing experiences of God’s providence: knowing the things I need to know when I need to know them, coming into contact with the people I need to contact when I need to make that connection, the gifts of friends and family right when I need them, and so it goes.

I have settled into something of a sacramental rhythm of confession, absolution and Eucharist that is more strengthening than I ever could have imagined. It makes a very real, experiential difference when it comes to focused prayer. And that rhythm sustains me as the week unfolds and all the struggles and joys of faith and life unfold.

I will say that through the year, my daughters have become an even greater joy to me. They truly are God’s grace to me, and I am blessed every moment I am with them. I have become much more patient and understanding of them in these last several months. I seem more intuitively attuned to their needs and moods. I can better sense when misbehavior is tied to their being stressed, or a little hungry, or just tired than I ever could. I seem to intuit their thoughts and needs more correctly than I ever did. And I can truly say that my moments with them are increasingly joy filled and blessed. That’s not to say I don’t get impatient with their misbehavior, or that I’m some sort of parental saint. I’m just as normal a father as the next guy. But I can really feel in my heart a solid change. It’s very much like when they were first born, almost like another conversion. God is ministering his grace to me in them.

All of this is God’s providence. If there were a one-word theme to this past year, it would definitely be providence. I have begun to begin to learn to trust God about everything, even the pain and suffering. It all, somehow, is woven together in this offering of his grace, of himself, the threads inextricably entwined. I cannot see the pattern. My perspective is skewed and myopic. But like Bartimaeus, I know one thing. Jesus is passing this way. I cry him mercy.

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Cool NT Audio

Go here: Mastering New Testament Greek eSources: Hildebrandt

Then scroll down to the bottom where you will see all of 1 John read in Greek, in mp3.

The Fatherhood Chronicles CXVI

Be Still, My Beeping Heart

Sofie supplied some neat quotes yesterday morning that still give me chuckles.

She, Delaina and I were in the common room, Delaina and I on the couch, Sofie standing in front of us. We were getting them dressed in their play clothes for the day. As she was getting dressed, Sofie put her hand on her chest, and looked at me and said, “Daddy, feel this.” So I placed my hand on her chest. “See?” she said. “My heart is beeping.” Delaina chimed in with her own, “My heart is beeping, too.”

A little later we were playing around with the word “curious,” and the girls piped in with “Curious George,” to which I replied, “Curious Daddy.” Sofie admonished: “You’re not curious, you’re too old.”

Too old to be curious? Be still my beeping heart.

Planner Junkie?

I’ve been revisiting some personal development stuff lately (revisiting personal vision and mission, dealing with grief, going through self- and relationship analysis). One thing I found from FranklinCovey was a free, 30-day trial offer of their PlanPlus for Windows. When it comes to planners, I’m definitely a paper version guy, but the software could convert me to the paperless/computer/PDA sort of planner guy.