Like a safe port for our little boatI was baptized at Christmas 1964. A little time later, through a friend, my mother-in-law and I met the Work. As someone recently baptized and just beginning my married life, I found Saint Josemaria’s teachings immensely valuable and received them with gratitude: everything was new to me.In 1978 I began to give classes in Japanese writing. At the time our fourth child was four years old. I worried that it would be hard for me to combine both jobs – work in the home, which had to be my main work, and my classes. Then Saint Josemaria’s teachings came to mind, and by applying the advice he had given I managed to strike the right balance between my job as a teacher, and my home-making. I also had the help and guidance of spiritual direction in Opus Dei. It made me very happy to see how my children cooperated with me by their good behavior. As if they had taken charge of the situation, they found ways of helping each other. My new job was a good educational tool for them: they grew in fortitude and generosity, and learnt to be more responsible. In addition, the boys began to go regularly to activities which were organized in a youth center whose spiritual dimension was provided by Opus Dei. They were growing up. The years have gone by, and my sons are now men. I see how they sometimes turn for opportune advice to the people they learnt to trust and make friends with as children. For my family, Saint Josemaria’s teachings have been like a safe port where the little boat of our household can take refuge: there it finds the strength to put out to sea once again. http://www.josemariaescriva.info/article/like-a-safe-port-for-our-little-boat |