I almost die the day Bluesapphire told me she was a JW.
Why? I was considering leaving the Roman Catholic Church myself years before she started studying with the JWs. My very first Bible I got it from a JWs neighbor!
Back then I was away from God and religion for many years. The only interest that I have for it was so that I can convert my situation at home into Paradise on Earth... since the Catholic Church was failing in providing me with a nice husband, why should I keep loyal? I felt the Church had failed me... my home situation was horrible, with six children, an uncaring and alcoholic husband... on the other fence, I could see good family examples like my good Mormon neighbor’s home. So, I started to play with the idea to become a Mormon, or Lutheran or maybe even Methodist.
Another neighbor was a JW and I asked her for a Bible. I started reading it, but I was to busy involved with the dynamics of a dysfunctional family, that I couldn't even concentrate.
Both of my parents were very devout Catholics. They passed the gift of Faith to two brothers another sister and me. My sister and I spend many of our early years living with the nuns in a convent. The nuns thought me how read when I was five years old and I have the best of memories of them... but I couldn't bring myself to devotions and dedication as my sister did. So when I marry blue’s father, I stopped going to Mass altogether. Many years went by until I reach a crisis and I started to search for God... I searched within the Catholic Church, but even so, I resented God for allowing the mess of my marriage life, for not changing my husband and that is exactly when I wanted to leave the Church, so other church could fix my life and my husband.
God had other plans for me. One afternoon I went to visit the Blessed Sacrament at my Church and I met a lady there and I confided her I was considering leaving the Church.
She stared at me and asks me if I have time to go to her house. I said why yes, I like to go. Anyone I can talk freely will do in those days.
She had piles of books: most of them about the Saints... but also, about the Early Fathers; she had books like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Agustin writings, St. Catherine of Siena... all of them champions on the love of God. She let me have a box of books... she would buy books and place them on the racket at the temple for people to get them; she was a convert herself.
I began reading and I read like for about a month... I couldn't wait for my kids to go to school, so that I could spend the whole day reading and part of the nights... I was crying from gratitude to God for He knew and He didn't aloud me to leave... so I changed Catholic from tradition, and I became a Catholic from conviction. I started lo love the Church I almost left. I discovered the beautiful gifts It had. And my love for Her grow and grow each day. One day I was anguishing at the thought of not loving Jesus like all the saints I was reading about loved Him and an immediate thought came to mind: “When you love my Church, you love Me”. Since then, I don't question my love for Jesus, I know I love Him because He loved me first.
The day bluesapphire called me to tell me she had become a JW, I was in Costa Rica and she called from California. Blue is a sweet girl, but that day she sounded real mean and harsh... It was a beautiful afternoon in Costa Rica and when the phone ringed I got the saddest news I ever got in my life. I knew she was studying with them and I did alert her and warned her against them. But I thought that I have convinced her when I ask her one day, why did she thinks the Satanists look for Consecrated Hosts to desecrated in their rituals. Why didn't they go after the bread the Protestants used? She looked puzzled and relieved, and happy... but she still continue to study with them and the rest she may want to say it herself...
After seven years, she came out! I remember praying for her to come back to the Catholic Church. Never the less, this guy who was a former JW and had become Catholic told me one night, do not ask Jesus to bring her to the Church, rather, ask Him to bring her out and He will lead her back to the Church. And He did!
