Protestant First - Orthodox Final

I grew up Protestant, Lutheran to be exact. I'm glad I did. I learned the dedication my parents had to our weekend ritual, church school on Saturday morning and church on Sunday. It taught me a foundation of who Christ is and gave me enough morals to carry me through the difficult initial years of growing up. 


There were times I was close to the edge, not understanding why I was going through pain or why my parents decided to have me, or why God put me here. My Lutheran faith did little to provide answers for these questions and later, after a failed marriage and a child in tow, did little to provide me a spiritual direction. There was just something missing. 


It was loose, it was not hard, it was just too easy for me to be lazy there. It was too nice, did not impress upon me to do much. And in turn it did not allow for me to lean hard on it. The trunk of the tree was just too narrow, it couldn't take all my weight and bent too easily. 


Being an Orthodox Christian is like standing in the middle of a forest of ancient redwoods. Fully defined, clear rules, clear answers, clear instruction. It's tough, it doesn't allow you to change it.  You can try to chop away at it for years but it's better to stand back, look at it's beauty, and live with it's strength.


I know now why I have pain and why God put me here. I also have forgiven my parents and found respect for them even though they had selfish reasons for having me. I am prepared for and look forward to the day I can share my reasons with my children. I thank God for helping me find a solid relationship with Him through Orthodoxy.