Moving Mountains Formed In Childhood

On one of the homework assignments, I was supposed to reach out to a friend or family member. Days later, praying before Mass, I asked “God, who is it?” I surprised myself when I mouthed “Kim.” I said, “God, really? My older sister? We haven’t shared faith EVER, and we only talk when the family gets together for the holidays!”

As the week filled up, I had one chance the night before class. I reached out to see if she wanted to have a video call chat, and she very warmly accepted. Minutes prior to the call I asked God if there was anything he wanted me to say, or if there was any words or images He could share with me. I had one vague image, and then my memory was stirred up of a myriad of times that I had had powerful encounters with the Father’s love through a memory that had some connection to my sister–a place where we’d hide together, a traumatic event of an animal passing, the struggles of entering adolescence. I’d never shared these with her. When I entered faith, I began leaving former ways that weren’t God-centered, which included most relationships, like that with my sister.

As I shared with her a bit of my journey, I could see that HOW I was speaking was being received. It was as if our sibling eyes were formed together to see things a certain way in the past, but in my journey, I had inherited this incredible set of glasses that allowed me to see with clarity into things of God. In our conversation, I felt like I was saying to her “Here! Try these on!” And she saw it too. I shared with her how I’d discovered dysfunction from our past, and confessed shameful things that i’d cooperated in, asking her forgiveness. She in turn forgave and disclosed things she’d never shared of her own struggles in upbringing.

I prayed with her for the first time in my life, and shared the image I had. She confirmed the image as something that resounded with her, and responded, “That was awesome!”

I could share so many highlights of this first quarter, but even if I only had one, this one was mountain moving. My childhood best friend knows that Jesus is alive and accessible. She has a voice to call out dysfunction and invite healing and blessing. This simple homework assignment, framed by the incredible teachings and activations, healed a core part of me, and shattered many layers of fear built from an early age. I’m so grateful and keep echoing “More, Lord!”

– Kevin Monette
Seattle Campus