A Love for Believing What I Cannot See

Maggie Silvestri, our new social media volunteer, shares the changes in her life that altered dramatically her faith and her sense of hope.

Faith and religion have always been unknown and confusing concepts for me. I was never sure what my faith was, or what I believed in. A few months ago, I had gone through a life-altering and scary event. Never in my life had I experienced loss or been a part of any traumatic scenarios and I could not help but question why my life had gone in this direction.

Walking around Our Lady of Fatima Shrine near my home and lighting candles became an outlet for me, something for me to look forward to and also find peace at. With this, I turned to ask for help from a higher being. I found myself praying more, asking for forgiveness, and being guided in the right direction. When life felt unclear and alarming to me, turning to God and putting my trust in him helped me get by.

With this, I found a love for believing in what I cannot see and trusting that I needed to walk by faith and not by sight. I also found many signs and symbols which allowed me to know that I am being watched after and cared for by my past loved ones. In some moments I found myself asking why bad things happen to good people and if God loved me then why he would allow something bad to happen in my life. I have come to realize that sometimes bad things happen to good people as moments to test their strength and help build them into the person that they are meant to be.

With this clarity, I will continue living my days with strength and passion and finding peace with the unknown. I also know that while I am on the road to recovery, God is holding my hand and guiding me with grace. My faith has definitely been altered in the last few months, allowing me to have clear pictures of what I believe in and stand for as a religious human being.  Although there may not have been an easy road to that clarity, I look forward to carrying the strength from that hurt with me throughout my days. 

Maggie Silvestri