Hello, my name is Terri Lawrence and I have officially been a member of St. Therese for the past two years.
Like many of you, my life has had its ups and downs. From childhood poverty, to meeting my dad at age 18, working career, raising children, moving across the country for 15 years, and finding my way back home to Seattle.
One of the biggest struggles my husband and I had when we lived in Alabama for those 15 years was finding a church that fit. Have you ever been in a position like that? We got more stares than smiles, felt cold and uninviting. I didn’t really like the culture. Sometimes we went for the kids, other times we went because we should, but we just weren’t getting fed…and eventually we stopped going.
And then, when my husband, Sam, and I moved back to Seattle, we felt displaced. Similar to Bartimaeus in the earlier reading, I felt blind and lost. It was just the two of us and things had changed dramatically around Seattle! The downtown skyline looked completely different, cruise ships and tourists were everywhere, prices skyrocketed ($5 for a cookie at Pike Place Market!), traffic was worse, and there was more of an intensity. It was a lot of change to take in.
To help ground us, Sam and I wanted to find a church that felt right. We tried several churches around our downtown neighborhood, but they just weren’t a fit; I felt awkward and uneasy. Then, I had an idea…why don’t we go back to St. Therese, which we had attended some prior to moving. We were welcomed with open arms! In fact, we were encouraged to participate in the Church’s Leadership Retreat before we even went to our first Mass. The liveliness of the church was apparent as there were discussions of important issues and concerns that I cared about. And I fell in love with the church’s Mission Statement:
Worship with joy, Work for justice, Grow in God’s love. It captures everything I believe in!
Plus, there are plenty of opportunities to serve. Committees, choirs (I joined the gospel choir), Lenten small groups, social justice events, adult learning series, homeless shelters, and our most recent tiny house construction in our own parking lot. WOW! I love the focus, heart, and activity of St. Therese and have been engaged and involved ever since.
Serving with love is what I believe life is all about.
It’s easy to say that St. Therese has made a huge impact on me and my husband. It is our place of worship, our church family, and we have a connection way beyond the building. The deep friendships we’ve made with members of the parish are people we call on in times of need and celebration. Speaking of celebration, I was asked to lead the St. Therese Big Event Committee that is currently working on a fantastic event coming this time next year called, “Jazz It Up Night!”, which I simply must do a quick plug for:
Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 1, 2022 Fun themed community event with dinner, live jazz music, and activities It’s all to support our local aspiring music community and to raise funds to help our “work for justice” mission including building more tiny houses
Thank you for tolerating that plug!
We all know life has its ups and downs, but what can I say? Right now, life is pretty good. I feel grounded, secure, loved, and blessed with our St. Therese community. Also, God is blessing us with our first grandbaby (a granddaughter) coming in November!
I must continue to trust in God’s love and have faith just like Bartimaeus when Jesus said, “your faith has healed you.” I believe our faith does heal us and gives us a positive lens to look through. So, receive the gifts that God has for you and rejoice in those blessings by giving back to the church. Service - financial support - community involvement is a continuous cycle that lifts us all up!
When I give out of gratitude, I feel a sense of deepened faith and my soul is full of joy. I hope you feel the same way, too.
As St. Francis of Assisi said, “For it is in giving that we receive.”