sense of what your calling means in
your life and how it will affect the
relationship that they are used to
having with you.
Remember that just as God is
nudging you along in your exploration of religious life, God is also at
work in the lives of your family and
friends. That may not make things go
COURTES Y OF THE I.H.M. SIS TERS OF MONROE, MICHIGAN
experience than in the past. Many
have been in serious relationships,
had careers, seen the rough edges of
life, and more. While some of their
concerns are the same as their older
sisters in religious life, others are
new or have greater urgency. What
if I’m not a virgin? What if I have a
tattoo? What if I did some things in
my life that I’m not proud of? What
if I ever questioned my faith?
These questions are not easy,
and each community may respond
to these kinds of issues differently. But the upshot is that today’s
younger sisters are women who have
tangled with the tough questions of
life and emerged with a few bumps
and bruises. No one is perfect, and
human imperfection is no reason
to dismiss the idea of religious life.
You never know how God will use
your experiences to be a source of
consolation or healing for another or
a new expression of a congregation’s
enduring charism.
5. “But my family and
friends will totally freak out.”
You’ve got a point there, but the
good news here is that you can
make it through those tough conversations (read: bombshells) and
deal with the misunderstandings
and growing pains.
Friends and family care about
you and want the best for you.
Their questions and comments,
not to mention “casual” introduc-
tions to a potential mate, are ways
that people sometimes try to make
Remember that just
as God is nudging
you along in your
exploration of
religious life, God is
also at work in the
lives of your family
and friends.
“
Learn more about #055 at VocationNetwork.org
