The Golden Jubilee

Commitment.....


My Aunt Joan celebrated her Golden Jubilee this weekend.  She decided at the young age of 18 that she wanted to dedicate her life to God forever.  She became a nun and gave herself to serving others for the rest of her life.  50 years later, she celebrates.  And rightly so.

I've been thinking a bunch about her decision and how huge that was.  When I was 18 all I could think about was getting out of the house and finding a boyfriend.  I don't know what kind of heart God has to give a teenager to help them make a LIFETIME decision like the one my aunt made.  Once that decision was made, her life was never the same.

Her family (especially mother) was so proud of her.  She went off to study (earning several degrees which is amazing considering my grandparents never finished high school) and learned not only about the world that she lived but also about God and people and community.  She learned to serve selflessly.  She learned to help those who have none.  She helped heal the broken hearted and bind up their hurts.  She cultivated her compassion and drew out the parts of her heart that were most like Jesus while ignoring the parts that were soul-ish, or more worldly.

She's never been to Rome, but she's going soon.  I'm so excited for her to learn about the heritage that she's read and lived her whole life.  I want her to see it with her own eyes.  I want her to touch the buildings and feel God's presence alive and strong in the churches that still stand to Praise and recognize Jesus and God as the One True God. I want God to bless her with experiences she never thought imaginable.  For all that she's sacrificed, I pray her to be blessed.

She studied in Grand Rapids and now lives in Lansing. Lansing. I thought about how many other places she could've lived.  As a nun, I'm sure she could've been commissioned to live anywhere in the world.  This week as I prayed, admired and thought about Aunt Joan, I thought, "Oh my word...why Lansing?".  I would've pulled some strings and asked to go to Europe, South America or even the Far East. But my Aunt Joan went where God would have her go.

I'm not sure if you've ever been to Lansing, Mi., but Lansing is our capital.  It's not like Detroit, but in my opinion, it's like the next step.  It seems the city has lost it's excitement as the buildings started showing their age years ago.  It seems dirty.  Tired.  Lacking.  And I wondered why God would send her there.  I really don't know the "reason" why she ended up in Lansing, but if you've ever been to Michigan I hope you know there are about a million other places that are nicer to live.  I realize I'm painting a horrible picture of it.  It's not THAT bad, but for someone who has given up everything in her life to worship God and give to others, I would want them to live in Traverse City on the waters edge seeing God's beauty everyday! But then I realized, if there was somewhere that God knew Aunt Joan needed to be, it was probably Lansing.  A place that needs God.  A place where people are lonely and tired.  A sleepy city that needs the light of Christ to shine into it so it can be awakened.  I wonder how many times my Aunt has prayed for our cities, our state, our country.  She couldn't get any closer to the place where the most important decisions are made for our state.  Yes, maybe Lansing is exactly where she was supposed to be.  Well...I guess it is since she is there.  ;)   But maybe I can feel a bit more settled knowing she loves God and brings that Spirit into the city where decisions are made that will affect my family, my state, my future, my life.  I'm so thankful God is smart.  I'm so thankful for people like Aunt Joan who say yes Lord.

I don't know my Aunt Joan super well.  It's one regret that I have in my life.  Sometimes decisions are made for you that sort of break your heart later in life.  I have a few nieces that I love and because of decisions made for them I don't know them super well.  It's hard.  I wish it was different.  But I just do the best I can with what God has given me.  I plan on taking some time to spend with Aunt Joan to hear her heart and get to know her better.  I know it's never too late etc. but there is still a past regret that sometimes lingers.  Some days I wish Aunt Joan was my God mother.  I think in a way she should've been or would've been.  There's a place in my heart that whispers that if things were different at one time, my mother would've asked her to be that for me.  I think she would've taken that role seriously.  As her dedication to God has been, serious.  When she says yes to a commitment, clearly she means yes for life.  I love that.

My sister tells me stories about how for a brief time in her life my mom, Kevin and her lived with Aunt Joan in the convent.  I can't imagine that.  To me, that would be the coolest place to live. Kari describes it was such.  She remembers running up and down the halls and getting hushed by the nuns to keep quiet, but also loving the attention.  It was a God heart that opened that door to my mother in a time when she needed help.  That is the type of person Aunt Joan is.  She loves her family and will do anything for them.  Even if never repaid.  Even if never thanked.  Even if never recognized.  That's kinda how Jesus lived all the time.  Constantly giving.  Hardly ever receiving. But I believe God filled his heart back up to give more and just knowing God was doing that made the rest ok.  I'm pretty sure Aunt Joan is like that too.  Knowing that God is enough. God is near.  God sees.  God rewards with His presence.  And that is, well, enough.

Happy 50 year Anniversary! 

I'm thankful for my Aunt Joan. She is someone to be admired and walk after.  Just as Paul said, "do as I do as I imitate Christ".  My Aunt Joan isn't perfect, but it takes an amazingly close walk with God to trudge through the good and the ugly of life and come out on the other side of 50 years of marriage to God and still like him.  And still love Him.  Life is extremely confusing, but she gets it.  She knows God is good.  She knows He isn't done and that He is coming once again to redeem all things.  This is not the end of the story, and this is the reason for her being firmly rooted and content with whatever may come her way.

May God continue to bless Sister Carla, my Aunt Joan for all that she has done and continues to do for the world, for strangers, for her family and for me.  I love you so much and I'm blessed and honored to be your niece.