Thursday, March 19, 2009

Feeling the Pinch

Today, if I say that I am feeling the pinch, naturally you would think that I am talking about the economy, and in part that would be correct. I am, of course, in graduate school, living at home with mom and dad, beg for money to drive to school and internship, and have $525 in the bank.

*Ouch* That does hurt. But I've got a different pinch in mind.

I was recently surfing the web last week while a professor gabbed about leadership skills, and found a number of sites where proud parents gushed with pride about their child. Their son/daughter had chosen to be a religious or a priest. They faced negative statements from relatives and strangers who did not fully understand that vocational callings are not limiting but actually widen horizons.

That wasn't what I was looking for. All these sites and articles were published by mothers and fathers who were aware of their child's vocation, found it valuable and worthy of support.

What about the hundreds (thousands?) of others just like myself who venture to follow God without any familial support? Where were the frustrated musings and postings of parents who denied their child's faith and religiosity? Did the thought of publicly stating such sentiments keep them silent? Why then do parents find it acceptable to say such things privately to their child, but not in public?

If it's not acceptable to state on the internet, why should it be uttered to an adult child?

Then again, I'm not entering and neither are my brothers and sisters in Christ entering on the basis of others' opinions, but for God. But it sure would be nice if we could enter in the hopes of parents and family members sending the occassional letter or helping out with student debt and the clothing list.