Let Truth Bloom

Is there order or chaos in your life? Our world was created in a perfectly ordered manner. We can read an account of this in Genesis. Any change that is introduced into the order of God’s design, then, is felt with a mirrored level of chaos. A slight lack of order produces slight chaos. An absolute abandonment of order creates utter and complete chaos. We do not need to look around our society for very long to see this play out. What about in our lives and in our own homes, though, where we strive to place God in His rightful place? Is there order or chaos ? One of the most life-changing, practical lessons I have learned to date regarding my purpose and role as a Catholic, and in particular as a mum, was in relation to the correct order of things. I had been making a mistake for decades! I had been responsible for dis-order in my home and in my family the entire time I had been married and raising children and I didn’t even know it. I had been feeling the chaotic effects of the erro...

My father, God rest his soul, was a deep thinker. The truth mattered to him. One of the things he did, though, that sometimes irritated me was his repetition of stories. One in particular he must have told me dozens of times; and I overheard him tell others dozens more. Little did either of us know what a pivotal part the centrepiece of this story would play in his death. My father’s favourite painting was the focal point of this often repeated tale. A picture of that very painting, which still hangs in his bedroom, you can see below. Dad tended to be a wonderful story-teller; animated whilst calm, clear, concise (most of the time), and certainly could hold one’s attention.  The painting is of Our Lord Jesus standing knocking on a door. To me, it is a beautiful painting. Calming. Thought-provoking. Emotive. The best part, though, is what is not there. There is no handle on the door. Jesus can knock. But there is no handle for Him to turn to let Himself in. He is knocking and must w...