Starting the Journey
- Leslea Wahl
- Feb 20
- 3 min read
Thank you for joining us for our Lenten blog series as we journey through our Ashes: Visible & Invisible anthology.
I’m excited to start us off since my contribution, Finishing the Journey, is the first story in the collection.
Finishing the Journey is about a teen girl who is going through the process of becoming Catholic. Lent is a time of preparation as this beautiful initiation occurs during the Easter Vigil, when candidates receive the sacrament of Baptism. Being a convert to Catholicism, this subject is near and dear to my heart.
Growing up, I was not familiar with the season of Lent. In fact, many years ago, when my
future husband and I stopped by his local parish office at the beginning of Lent to inquire about pre-wedding classes, I almost told the secretary that she had an embarrassing smudge on her forehead—little did I know that it was Ash Wednesday and that smudge was a poorly formed cross!
Four decades later, it’s hard to believe I was once so uninformed about the one true Christian faith. Because of my background, I try to use my writing to shed light on the Church's rich history and, hopefully, correct some common misconceptions.
When the idea for this anthology was first presented, I immediately knew I wanted to write a story about someone converting to the Church. For many years, I’d been impressed by the teens who chose to go through the RCIA program to become Catholic. Their dedication and commitment to this momentous decision are inspiring.
I knew Liz, the main character in my book Charting the Course, would be perfect for this story. She did not grow up with a faith background, but her best friend Josie, the protagonist in my story Into the Spotlight, made a point of inviting Liz to join her at Mass and to attend her youth group. Liz remained reluctant, but during a particularly difficult period, she finally decided to accept her friend's offer.
Have you ever thought about inviting someone to church with you? Even though my husband and I began attending Catholic Mass after our wedding, and we were raising our children in the Church, it took me quite a few years to finally convert. In fact, it wasn’t until an acquaintance made the simple offer to be my sponsor that I made the life-changing decision to become Catholic. I will always be thankful for that nudge that I needed; it truly changed my life.
Do you know anyone who is curious about the Church? Is there a friend who might appreciate an invitation to Mass or attend your youth group? Or do you have questions yourself? Lent is an excellent time to delve into the beauty of the Catholic Church. Why not start the journey today?
Unfortunately, author Cynthia Toney is unable to participate at this time, but you won’t want to miss her thought-provoking stories, Follow Me.
We hope you join us on Feb 25th as author Marie Keiser reflects on her story,
Take Up Your Cross.
About the author: Leslea Wahl is a Colorado native who loves to travel with her family. She strives to write entertaining stories that encourage teens to grow in their faith. Finding a way to intertwine her passions by creating adventurous mysteries with positive Christian messages for today's youth has been an incredible blessing. Leslea also has become an advocate for families by reviewing faith-based teen novels on her website.
Thanks for this post, Leslea! It's easy to tell myself I shouldn't be pushy or that an invitation wouldn't be received well, but I've found that sometimes people are waiting for that invitation and welcome it. My husband is MUCH better than I am about sharing his faith with people - especially strangers. It's worth that little nudge.