I was driving in the country this weekend, just before dawn, and was struck by the beauty of the morning. The sky was gorgeous with all shades of pink above the stately Sierra Nevadas, with the calm of the valley below. It was a quiet, peaceful moment, filled with all the beauty and hope of a new day.
Reflecting on the progress CANFP has made in the last few months, I feel we are in the same place. By the current statistics from the CDC, only one in a thousand couples use the scientifically advanced forms of NFP for family planning. But this is a new day, and we have seen many eyes and hearts are ready, and anxious, to receive the good news we are trying to promote.
CANFP recently completed a series of conferences for clergy and seminarians in several Northern California Dioceses. The last group of seminarians capped it off. I ended the talk asking “What does a contracepting couple reflect to the world, if married love as designed by God is meant to reflect the love Christ has for his bride?” This bright, engaging group of men fired back with eloquent spontaneous mini sermons about how married love is designed to reflect the life giving love of the Holy Spirit. I can’t wait to follow their journey as they start leading their flocks closer to God, and perhaps also sharing their insights with us through Clergy Corners reflections in future editions of CANFP NEWS. I think I was grinning the rest of the day.
Other joys in the past few months include a number of joyful announcements of pregnancy among family members of physician colleagues, after learning NFP to overcome previous inability to achieve pregnancy. These young physicians now are open in their opinions that this knowledge should be available to all women.
A visiting medical student, upon hearing my lecture on the harms of hormonal contraceptives, and the benefits of NaProTechnology, felt I should come and lecture to the rest of his medical school class. The same week, in a small group lecture, a resident about to graduate heard about the medical applications of NFP for the first time, and, like many other residents, emphasized this should be a regular part of the curriculum in medicine residency programs.
The NFP teacher in my office is staying busy, as young women keep referring their friends to also learn NFP.
There is a hunger for the good news NFP has to offer and we have a lot to do. If you want to join us in the adventure, get in touch! The increased demand for services also means many more opportunities for involvement.
This is a new day. We have a lot to be joyfully thankful for. God is good.