The Times They Are A-Changin’

Sometimes, in my life it feels like things are always going to be the same. If there’s something wrong, I can’t see how it’ll ever be different. If something's going great, it’s easy for me to take it for granted and forget that the good thing may not always be in my life. I think this is probably a pretty common human perspective.

But, as life goes, hard things get better and good things sometimes have to change or disappear altogether. In my life, this process has occurred twice in the last few days.

The first involves my dad. For those of you who know much about my family, you know that my dad is not a believer and that my mom is and that they recently divorced after 35 years of marriage. My dad, for as long as I’ve known, has always been a pretty consistent, solid atheist. Sure, he might pop into church once every 10 years or so for a potluck or some other event, but he never showed any interest in any deeper connection with a “non-existent” God or the church.

Also, for as long as I can remember, I’ve prayed that my dad would find God. I remember laying in my bed as a little girl loudly singing Christian songs hoping that my dad would hear them and change his heart. But, when you hope for things for a long time and don't see the answer you're looking for, it's easy to want to give up. But I need to remember Romans 5:5 - "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Within the last few months, I've seen reason for renewed hope and tenacity in praying for my dad. I started to feel this way a few months ago when my dad told us about his January trip to Puerto Vallarta. My dad has never been the affectionate type, so when he showed Casey and me some pictures he’d taken in the city of small children, and told us how he’d hugged them and patted their heads, I was quite surprised. I didn’t think my dad really liked small children all that much. This was a sign to me that maybe my dad was softening some.

Then a few weeks ago, my mom told me how when she and my brother went out to eat with him (yes, they're divorced but they went to dinner anyway) they started talking about God. My brother, who I think is probably an atheist, was talking about some of his beliefs. My dad responded that he used to think that way too, but now he’s thinks he may have been wrong about some of his ideas. Dad’s saying he might’ve been wrong? What universe is this?

Then on Sunday, Casey and I went to dinner at Red Lobster with my dad. In the middle of eating our salads and cheesy bread, my dad slips in, “So today when I went to church, I met this man . . .”

“Excuse me, father. Today when you went where?” I thought. Now before it sounds like my dad has become a bonafide evangelical, bible-lovin’ convert, I’ve got to qualify that we found out the church he went to was the Unitarian Universalist church. I asked him what attracted him to that church, and he said it seemed like it would be a place that would be welcoming to people who are seeking truth. Seeking truth. That’s a new development, and it’s a good one.

He later said he’s considering visiting a Catholic mass and festival at a local Spanish Catholic Church this weekend. Will wonders never cease? (My dad has been avidly studying Spanish language and culture for the last 4-5 years).

Then, Casey and I told him about our church and how it was a welcoming place. Our tagline is “RealChurch – where you can be you.” We invited him to come sometime, and he said he might. And it wasn’t a “I might - not,” It was a “I really might just show up,” type of response.

For you praying folk out there, you know what to do – ask the Lord to help my dad find what he’s looking for: the truth.

Finally, I said there were two incidents involving change. The second is a change after nearly 7 years of sameness, and I’ve already heard of the terrible burden it is causing some of my amigas. Yes, my long-held cell phone number has changed. The reason was financial, and as I informed one dear red-headed art teacher, not personal. If you didn’t receive the e-mail I sent with the new number, just let me know and I’ll get it to you.

“The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.”