(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)
First, I called my carpool buddy to arrange a ride to soccer practice for my eldest. She happens to be a prayer warrior with a van. Upon hearing the latest, she agreed to pray and said her next call would be to the Poor Clares. God bless those nuns who spend all day and night praying for those of us who need them so much! Then, I requested the prayers of over 600 women on my e-mail support group. From past experience, I know these are mighty prayers indeed. Finally, I pulled up some more Mother Teresa quotes sent to me from my friend Molly. I was ready to be serene, peaceful, even joyful.
Not. The first quote was, “Smile at each other…smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile. And that will help you to grow up in great love for each other.” I got the painters started and went down to tackle the laundry generated by Stephen. Just as I was thinking that it had been three hours since he’d gotten sick and that if I kept his stomach empty, we might be in the clear, he appeared, grinning impishly. He had sugar all over his face.
“What did you eat?” I asked, rising panic in my voice.
“A donut,” came the answer.
“A donut? A donut? We haven’t got any donuts! Where did you get a donut?”
“From the painter; he’s a nice guy,” volunteered Patrick, pleased that his new friend had donuts enough for all of them. Smile. Smile. Smile.
It turned out that the painter is really a very nice guy. The jury’s still out on whether he’s a good painter. But that’s another story. He is the oldest of seven children and he smiles quite a bit himself. So together, we worked on Mother Teresa’s next quote: “Spread love everywhere you go: First of all in your own house…let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.”
Honestly, the painter was kinder than I was. Curiously, he kept telling me what a difficult job I have. But I wasn’t trying to make it look difficult; I was trying to be joyful. I was smiling, for heaven’s sake! Molly warned me that this quote could be a tough one and by the end of the day, I was struggling. I knew that people were praying for me and I knew I was praying, but I was still not feeling particularly joyful. And I wasn’t feeling holy at all.
Bright and early this morning, I got a phone call from my mother’s neighbor, Angela. She had just read my last column about this move and she had words of wisdom. The mother of five, including a set of twins, and a military wife, Angela had insight. Unlike the painter, who kept offering sympathy, she offered empathy and an affirmation of this lifestyle. She told me that it’s not enough to say it’s in God’s hands; I have to really put it there. Then, I need to stand my ground, smile, look at the world and let them know that this is the way we live. We have lots of children, lots of activity and a little clutter. There is life here. And that’s a good thing. Model homes are not real. This life, busy and blessed, is very real. It doesn’t always feel holy, but it is holy. As Angela said, we know the Main Thing and we are focused on the Main Thing. It was such a nice pep talk from a wise, motherly woman. I am convinced that Angela was working for my Guardian Angel.
I am ready this morning for Molly’s third quote from Mother Teresa: “I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.” It’s reassuring to know that even Mother Teresa felt overwhelmed at times. Angela reminded me that this day is an opportunity for grace. She said that when I pray for patience, I can’t expect it to grow in me when nothing is going on, when there is no pressure. It grows in times of stress. I can see now that He trusts me with more than I think I can handle because He has taught me to call upon Him. He knew I would call. When I did call, he sent an angel (or an Angela) to reassure me that He heard. That’s a real cause for joy.
