Actor Patricia Heaton grew up knowing that God loved her, but it wasn’t till later in her life that she fully surrendered her acting career to God. Reflecting on a pivotal moment when she chose to put her faith above her ambitions, Heaton explained how her faith continues to shape her response to criticism she faces in Hollywood today.
“One of the greatest things Tim Keller ever said was, ‘Forgiveness is voluntary suffering,’” Heaton told speaker and Bible teacher Jeff Cavins. “So that when someone does something to you, instead of lashing back or hating on somebody, you take on the hurt the way Christ took on the hurt for us. And in that way, you get to participate in his suffering.”
“It’s like a high calling that when you allow yourself to take in injustice and to take in hurt and betrayal, you get to participate with Christ,” she said. “That takes those harmful and hurtful things that you got from a family member or somebody at work or something in your life that devastated you, and it’s like when the nuns used to say, ‘Offer it up.’”
“That’s what it means, right?” said Heaton. “You can now look at it as a way to be Christlike, which is the highest thing that you can do. And it will change you for the better.”
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Patricia Heaton Gave Acting to God After Life-Changing Mission Trip
Patricia Heaton is an Emmy Award-winning actress best known for her roles as Debra Barone on “Everybody Loves Raymond” and Frankie Heck on “The Middle.” Raised in a Catholic family in Ohio, she has been outspoken about her faith and advocacy for pro-life and family-centered causes.
Heaton sat down with Cavins for Day 25 of the Lent prayer challenge offered by Catholic prayer and meditation app Hallow. On Saturdays during the challenge, different people sit down with Cavins to talk about their faith journeys. Previous interviewees have been Mother Olga, music artist Gwen Stefani, and actor Michael Iskander.
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My Hollywood career really got rolling after I had sort of given it over to the Lord, said Patricia Heaton. And so I realized he's who I have to please, not anybody else.Click to PostCavins and Heaton met at St. Cecilia’s convent in Nashville, Tennessee, a place that is special to Heaton because her sister is a nun there.
Heaton told Cavins that she grew up going to Catholic school and following Catholic traditions such as daily prayer and eating fish or pizza on Fridays. Her mother, who went to mass every day, died when Heaton was in seventh grade.
