WITNESS TALK - PETE MARTIN

My name is Pete Martin, and I have lived here in Middleboro for the last 8 years with my Wife and Daughter. You might say I was called by the Holy Spirit to give this little talk-but actually I was called by Mary Gallagher-

The analogy I like to use when describing my faith experience is this:
It is like a journey, a road trip. This journey has a map, but for a long time it was not easy to read or understand .The destination became more clear as the trip unfolded. Many wrong turns, and bad directions, can lead us down the wrong road. Sometimes we just keep going hoping that it gets better. Other times we turn around and try a different road. Sometimes we make the same wrong turns, and travel down part of the road we have already been. Other times we are cutting through new territory-

I was brought up in a Catholic household-and attended parochial school for most of my childhood-I graduated from Bishop Stang High School in Dartmouth Ma. It was a great foundation. Nowadays I often reflect on what I had learned there.

After high school, I spent some time in the Marine Corps. I drifted away from the church. The roads I was taking were not always the best choices I could have made. I was single and lived away from the church for over 20 years. As I got older, I began to wonder about things-
I began to question what my life was really all about - Why did God put me on this earth? What is my mission in life? Am I supposed to have a mission ? Would I ever get married? Have children? Although I would never admit it, I was lost on the road of life.

At 37 years old, I met my Wife-got married, and had a child.
Finally life had a meaning, a purpose-but there was still something missing. At about this time I began attending church again with my wife and daughter. It seemed that I had finally chosen some of the right roads to travel.

Along my journey-at a certain point I was confronted with a huge Mountain-That I could not overcome on my own. Even though I thought that I could-as I had done so many times in the past. The road was impassable and I was stuck there. It was a very unpleasant place. Some of the events that landed me there were not my fault, some were totally my fault.
I came around to asking Jesus why I was in this mess. I considered it a hopeless case. My sprit was broken, and I did not know how to fix it. I needed to know if Jesus was there for me in my time of greatest need. I truly did not know where to find the answer.

With the help and guidance of a couple of great priests. I discovered that Jesus has always been there, deep in my heart-calling to me.

"Hey Pete-you ready yet? -No …not yet……"

Well, after much reflection I figured out that I was ready to accept Jesus back into my life. I wanted to be rescued from my situation. And I wanted Him to guide me out of the mess I was in. …The message I got back was -:

"I am here to give you what you Need-not what you want- So go dig yourself out of your mess- …and know that I walk with you, side by side, day by day."

At first I only had a spoon to dig with-soon that was replaced with a shovel, eventually a bulldozer-

The mountain was moved. The road was opened.

This is how Jesus works in my life. Just knowing that he is there inside me has given me an inner strength that I never knew I had before. I feel that I have been tested, and tempered by adversity. I was humbled by what I experienced.

I still do not fully understand what the Holy Spirit is, but now I know how to read the map, and follow the directions. Jesus is my map-and he gives me directions. I still make mistakes, and take some wrong turns now and then. But - Much like the Disciples on the road to Emmaus-I found that Jesus was right there beside me all along-Only I did not recognize Him-until He revealed himself to me.

I am humbly grateful and give thanks daily, to be able to "Put my hand in the hand of the Man from Galilee."