Editor’s note: The author explains her family’s Lenten commitment to take the Love Dare here . Regular updates will be posted all through Lent. Click here to catch up on previous posts. Due to CE staff scheduling, we will not be able to keep up with these posts daily, but we will make sure they are all posted, even though it means they run past Lent. ]
Find a family mentor.
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22).
We have been so blessed in this respect. We have some wonderful friends who give us good counsel. They all serve different purposes in terms of support and advice. We have our friends the Glazers; they pray with us and run to our sides at a moment’s notice. They did this the day our son was born, the day our daughter had a cardiac concussion and her heart stopped, and when we faced an enormous career challenge. The Montes give us support, love and help in dealing with our children’s disabilities. They teach us techniques, make us laugh and help us find solutions to all life’s struggles. The Pernots are a young couple that gives us a younger perspective on life. They offer wonderful insights into our teenagers and they are the ones who gave of their own time to teach our kids Theology of the Body. The Schwalms (Anne Pernot’s parents) give us a listening ear, prayers and refuge when we need it. The O’Connells are our prayer warriors; Not only giving us wonderful advice (Aimee is a psychologist), but offering Masses, Rosaries, and fasting for us all the time. The McHales are our true blue friends. We have been friends with them and with the Veltres since the beginning of our marriage. They bring us food when we need it, watch our children, and offer us unconditional love. When my father-in-law died in our home, the McHales came and took our kids out so we could grieve and the Veltres sent us pizza so we wouldn’t forget to eat.
Then we are blessed to have neighbors we like and family we love. Sometimes those two lines cross, as in the case of my dear sister who lives up the street and is my neighbor too, and my neighbors Joe, Lindsay and their adorable little boys who have become part of our extended family!
Marriage and family life can be difficult and challenging. We need the advice and love of friends to keep our marriages strong.
Dear Lord, thank you for blessing us with wonderful friends and family. Help us to seek their godly advice in all important things to help keep us strong and on the right track.
