"So it is in the world of souls, the living garden of the Lord. It pleases Him to create great saints, who may be compared with lilies or the rose; but He has also created little ones, who must be content to be daisies or violets nestling at His feet to delight His eyes when He should choose to look at them. The happier they are to be as He wills, the more perfect they are" (St. Thérèse).
I have a confession to make. As much as I love roses, I think I might be a daisy or a violet. I'm a hardy type, maybe even a weed in some circumstances. Roses, for all their beauty, are a bit fussier than I'd like to be. And I'm way too shy to be a show flower. The New Year finds me pondering where and what God calls me to be in His garden. This year, I'm focused on simplicity and clarity of purpose. What is the most important thing I should be doing right now?
Someone asked me recently what my theme is for the year. I have two, which might contradict the whole simplicity thing before we even get going. The first was handed to me on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
It was very, very crowded that day at the National Shrine, where my family spent the day. After Mass, I had hoped the Upper Church would clear out as it usually does. I had visions of having the Miraculous Medal Chapel to ourselves for a few moments to make a family consecration to the Blessed Mother. That was not to be. After Mass, we gathered the troops and went back downstairs, truly just searching for any quiet, sort of private, place, out of the way of the crush of people. We found the Chapel of Our Lady of Brezje. Because I'm quite sure that it was providential to be in this particular chapel (there was no place else to go), I'm particularly pondering these words, quoted on the right-hand wall of the chapel: "This is all I desire: to be where God wants me to be."
Have you noticed that God puts daisies and violets in some very unglamorous places? I think that St. Thérèse was talking to mothers when she observed that some of us are called to be daisies and violets. If I am a violet, I want to be a good one, right here where God planted me. I also want to be aware that God's burden is easy and light. If I am doing what He calls me to do, I will not stagger under the weight. It's other people's expectations that might burden me, not God's. So, the other theme for the year is: "Good enough is the new excellent." Is it good enough for God? That's excellent.
I have eight children. They are educated at home, well, except for the one in college. It's pretty clear where God wants me to be. God wants me to be with my children. Necessarily, I have to guard my time. When one consents with her whole heart to having eight children, she does so knowing that discretionary time is really not going to be much of a problem. Because there isn't any. If I'm where God wants me to be, I'm with them. That doesn't mean I never have time alone or only with my husband; it just means that I need to guard those things that cause me to be somewhere other than where God wants me to be: the Internet, the telephone, the television. My goal is to be mindful of where I am and what I am doing there at all times. Time is far too precious to do anything else.
My word count won't allow me to do justice to the other theme: "Good enough is the new excellent." So often, society distracts us from our true calling by tempting us to be perfect by standards that aren't God's standards: the perfect house; perfect children dressed in perfect clothing; perfect yards; perfect vacations. We aren't called to live up to unreasonable Hollywood-like standards. We are called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Perfect charity: If I can do it with love, whatever it is, it's good enough for God. And that's excellent. I resolve this year to be a violet and to encourage the women around me to be violets and daisies too — simple, humble, lovely, glorifying God wherever He plants us.
