“Father, how is this possible? When I knew you not, I knew you first. Unknowingly, I was blessed to be raised in your presence through the love of my parents and family. Blessed to have been nurtured by your children, and blessed to have helped nurture their children.” – Perpetua
Each morning, I remain eternally thankful to awaken and express with her words, “Father, how is this possible . . .” I am also thankful that the telling, of this seemingly improbable intimate relationship, will be in her words . . . not mine.
Perpetua’s words, along with mine published four days before my being formally introduced to Perpetua during an H2 documentary, continue to comfort and ensure. “My journey was one of hopes and promises that seemed uncompleted and unfulfilled, an unknown journey I initially struggled to comprehend, though a journey I always felt safe and secure experiencing. I felt a constant spiritual presence that was there To Watch Over Me.”
“Tia, it’s our love that joins us together. To me, there is no other explanation. Whether initially drawn from the near or from the farthest extents within the empire, south from foreign lands, or from beyond the Parthian Empire . . . we are all one family in and through love.
“We celebrate the gift of life; from birth until death and during the struggles, sufferings, and memorable moments in between. More importantly, it is the invitations we accept, the tasks we shoulder and carry out, that define us . . .
“Tia, it’s not what we say that many notice. It’s how we see others, how we treat others, how we love others. From this villa, can we, will we ever change the world? Most likely not . . . though someday our heavenly Father’s unconditional love and gift of spirit just may.” – Perpetua
Perpetua’s constancy and her words declared moments before her and her companions were placed under house arrest continue to resonate, “They’re not like me . . . I’m not like them . . . They are me!”
“God said . . . “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” Jeremiah 1:5
I solemnly assure you, the man who has faith in me will do the works I do, and greater far than these. John 14: 12–21
In the days and times that we live in, might we all consider embracing Perpetua’s words.
“They are me!”