Rattled

Since I broke up with Mr. Burns I’ve been grumbling to God about how He seems to give everything I pray for to everybody else. They all have husbands and babies and good jobs without – it seems to me- putting a whole lot of effort forth.

To my credit, however I’ve also been praying about how I can be as fabulous and as supportive a person as Miss Amy Beth (read her post today – it’s what ya call a GRANDSLAM!). How, Dear God, can I extend myself to someone who needs me in the way Amy Beth has for her Roomie?

Well, today God has addressed my frustrations and my questions and He really rattled my cage!

I got a call from a friend who just had a baby with her gorgeous and sweet hubby. She’s preparing for baby’s baptism and asked me to be the baby’s sponsor. I’m surprised, because this friend is an acquaintance really. We’re not that close. She explained that she wants someone who is strong in faith and active in the Catholic Church. None of their relatives fit the bill. Hmm.

Then she went on to tell me that she’s getting a divorce.
I fell off my chair!

It turns out this friend with the perfect little life that I envied – found out only after three years of dating and two years of marriage – that her beloved has serious problem that he hid from her and the rest of the world for years. He hid it very well.

For the sake of privacy, I won't go into detail.

Once she revealed all this, I realized that if I – who considered myself to be their ‘fringe friend’ if anything - am the first person out of everyone she knows that she sees fit to sponsor her child in the Sacrament of Baptism – I must accept.

If she’ll have me, I’ll even consider renting out my condo to go live with her and help with baby.

Most of all, God is showing me that sometimes rejection is protection. My Lord has not provided me a husband. My challenge of being alone is less than my friend’s challenge of leaving the man she loves and raising her baby alone.

Please pray for my friend, that the messiness of this impending divorce does not further wound her spirit. That her child might know the love of both parents and that of the friends around them all.

Edited to add: I am already Godparent/Sponsor to two! The first is my oldest niece - who graduates from High School this spring and the second is my best friend's 3-year old daughter.
In the unlikely event I were to become responsible for all of these children - I'd be pretty busy pretty fast. Maybe it's time to stop praying for babies!!