GOD-centric :

A life centered on the pursuit of a good and fair God of love

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Ch. 1 The Invitation

Theme Song: Beautiful Vision – Van Morrison

“Wouldst thou learn to see clearly thy Lord’s meaning in this thing? Learn it well: Love was His meaning. Who shewed it thee? Love. What shewed He thee? Love. Wherefore shewed it He? For Love. Hold thee therein and thou shalt learn and know more in the same.” ~ St. Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love

  Stealthily having assembled my mom's tomato pin cushion with sewing needles intact and her stainless steel tweezers, I closed my bedroom door. I had performed this exercise before but not so many times that its lack of desired effect had dissuaded me. I thought that if only I could create the right escape route, then the evil demons inside of me would be released, and bad things would stop happening to me. When I look back on this now, I find it interesting that I had generated such a primitive belief all on my little lonesome. While I was raised Roman Catholic, there was no talk of exorcism in my local parish in those post-Vatican II days of 1970. Somehow, I instinctively suspected that bloodletting, or at least pore opening, would solve my problems. I was not yet five years old.

  Alternating between pricking myself with sewing needles and plucking out baby-fine arm hairs with tweezers, I prayed it would work this time. Perhaps because I was so young or because I had no premonition that this night would be unlike the others, I cannot recall the specifics of the event but I can tell you this: I was surrounded by a feeling of undeniable love and I knew, knew that my problems were not my fault and that God loved me. I knew that God loved me. It is a short sentence but it was a very powerful experience. I never again blamed myself and I would not doubt God's love for a single moment for the next fourteen years. I fell completely in love with God. Wouldn't you?