The Gift - From Christmas Past
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Road to Purity
One thing a football fanatic does while waiting for the next season is to watch players move from team to team through trades.
Along with being a football fanatic, I am a writer with WMD (Whirling Mind Syndrome). Free Agent Frenzy got me thinking (uh-oh) about my faith journey in football terms.
For many years, I knew God existed, but didn't want to be part of His league; His regulations were too restrictive and I wanted to do it "my way". It wasn't until I entered the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous that I realized "my way" was slowly killing me ... emotionally, physically and spiritually. This revelation resulted in a status change. I joined His league as a free agent. Being in the league was a step in the right direction; however, it was not enough. I needed a coach with a clear and concise playbook and team to guide and encourage me. The League's Commissioner, in His infinite wisdom, knew the answer and sent a delegate from Team Catholic, who invited me to participate in their training camp.
Training camp was an opportunity to learn the team's methods and techniques before committing. The Assistant Coaches were patient and understanding, explaining the playbook one page at a time. I grew to understand and appreciate not only the Team, but the League as a whole. The Team’s approach to offense and defense made sense to me, but what attracted me the most was learning fumbles are not game-enders, but opportunities for growth by accepting responsibility and making the necessary corrections in execution. All that is required is humbly asking the Commissioner, through the Coach, to absolve wayward plays and provide a means to reconcile with the Team and League ... deleting constant replays of guilt and shame.
By the end of camp, I no longer wanted to be a free-agent. I wanted to be a franchise player with a permanent contract with Team Catholic. I signed the dotted line on April 8, 2006 and never looked back.
Patti J. Mitchell (formerly Smith) is a devoted Catholic and pro-life advocate. She shares her journey from a life of sinful excess to redemption across the country, including pro-life conferences, to members of Congress, at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., and the Walks for Life in San Diego and San Francisco. She has been a guest on several radio shows, including Immaculate Heart Radio and Radio Maria. She also appears in two documentaries, "The Sidewalk Chronicles" and "Hush."
Patti writes Christian devotionals. One of them, "Redeemed – Rosary Meditations for Post-Abortive Women," is used at healing retreats and written in a way to be used by all denominations. Her most recent release is "And God Still Loves Me – A Story of Hope and Healing." She has also had articles published in the National Catholic Register, Life News, and the Southern Cross.
She is a retired background investigator, married and lives in Puyallup, Washington.
