I talked with a young woman today who told me the story of her Baptism. She was raised Protestant and her parents felt that she should get baptized when she wanted to. We talked about how a Christian Rite of Baptism is seen as valid even in the Catholic Church. When she was 5 years old, she had that opportunity. She went into the baptismal pool and they started the prayers. But then, she slipped and got scared and stood up. The adults took this to mean that she didn’t want to be baptized, so they didn’t complete the ceremony. She said she remembered after that she felt like she had a hole in her chest – not a physical one – and it was hard to explain. And it stayed with her. She would get in bad moods that were difficult to get out of. Later she found out that she had not been baptized. So at 9 years old, they tried again. This time, everything worked out fine. After that, the hole feeling left. She eventually was Confirmed in the Catholic Church and loves the faith. She said she has tried to rationalize what happened as a child and why. I said perhaps it was God’s way of letting her know that He is for real and the grace received in Sacraments is real. I personally think that every person has an opportunity for a real encounter with God in their lifetime. Probably even more than one. Often times those encounters are dismissed, forgotten, or pushed aside. I thanked the young woman for sharing her story with me. I feel that when we talk about those experiences, they remind us of God’s love for us and bolster other people’s faith.

I Found God today in a story of real grace.