Prayers to prevent a divide

[SierraLea]

One of my sisters has been good friends with a boy her age for a very long time. They both passionately love Jesus and are very cool, fun people, but he was from a non-denomination church and we are passionately Catholic. So, he started asking her some things about our faith, trying to convert her to his religion, while she was doing the same for him. This was all done in a very loving manner, with a great deal of respect on both sides and they were great friends through the whole process. In fact, they both really liked each other, but decided not to date because they felt they couldn't enter a relationship with someone from a different type of Christianity. Finally, after a long process of prayer and self-discovery, research about the Catholic faith, encounters with many other cool Catholics, he has decided to convert.
Now, I'm not asking for prayers for his conversion, because I know some of you are probably not Catholic. This is my request.
His family is from a church that thinks very horribly of the Catholic Church. Through the years this process has taken, they have tried everything to get this young man away from my sister. When he first told them he had converted, they threatened to take away his funding for college. I don't think they followed through, but it is still very tense between them and creating a rift and a lot of pain for all parties. I would ask for your prayers that his family at least comes to respect his choice, continues to love him, and allows my sister to be in his life. Seriously, if he'd been Catholic from the start, they would probably already be engaged, they love each other that much. I and my family have been praying for him through this whole process, that his family would warm to both our faith and us, especially my sister. So I ask for prayers for love and understanding, a willingness to learn, and hopefully that my sisters gets to marry this wonderful young man in the future. Thank you.

[shooraijin]

That certainly is a very delicate situation.

[Mouse2010]

I'm only now seeing this, Sierra. Prayers. This kind of stuff is really tough. I think for some parents, when their children choose a different religious tradition, it feels like a personal rejection of the parents. I don't think it *should* seem that way, but sometimes it does. And that's on top of all the theological concerns they may have . . .

[SierraLea]

Hi, thought I'd give everyone an update on this situation. Over the Christmas Holidays, both my sister and the boy in question came home and were able to have a very fruitful discussion with his family. Right now, they want him and her to not have contact for the spring semester, so that he can be sure that his choice to change his faith is solely about God and not just about my awesome sister. In the summer, they can date. It will be a few hard months, but the results will be worth it.
Thank you everyone who prayed!

[SierraLea]

This will probably be the last post on this thread, and it is a THANK YOU!!!!!! I now live close enough to watch it all unfold, I've met the young man personally and very much like him, and he and my sister have been full throttle dating through the whole summer. We've met his family and they like us, they absolutely adore my sister, and it seems like God and your prayers have done it again. I can forsee my not-yet-born daughter getting to be a flower girl in the distant future.

[shooraijin]

Very glad to hear it!