[Editor’s note: The author explains her family’s Lenten commitment to take the Love Dare here . Regular updates will be posted all through Lent. Click here to catch up on previous posts. Due to CE staff scheduling, we will not be able to keep up with these posts daily, but we will make sure they are all posted, even though it means they run past Lent. ]
Today we will ask ourselves what our family members’ deepest heart desires are and try to find a way to fill it.
“Delight yourself in the Lord: and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
This dare is a difficult one for the children. It requires so much thought and a mental maturity that I am not sure all the kids possess yet. I am struggling with this one myself. Not the figuring out part. I know my family well enough to know what they hold dear, what their thoughts and dreams are, and what they would change if they could. It is the fulfilling part that’s hard; the knowledge of my own limitations and lack of ability to make the things they want or need come to fruition, frustrates me. Oddly, fulfilling this dare for each one of my family, would be my heart’s desire.
Our oldest daughter was able to complete this dare for her daddy. Holy Thursday Mass is always difficult for him. It reminds him of a dear priest friend, who passed away. Every year, the priest would ask 12 male parishioners to join him at the Last Supper table/altar and he washed their feet. He always included my husband in that group. My husband misses his friend at this time of year. Our daughter had the opportunity to attend Holy Thursday Mass with her boyfriend at another church. I know she welcomed the opportunity to see him, but she turned him down. She wanted to be with us to support her dad at Mass. That was his heart’s desire of that moment: to be surrounded by the love and support of his family.
Dear Lord, help us always to put the needs and desires of our family members first. Making them happy should always be a priority.
