A Much Needed Break

Sometimes you just need to get away from it all. On the weekend of our 28th wedding anniversary my dear one took me away. We didn't go far but it felt like half way around the world. We enjoyed quiet meals, uninterrupted conversations, and a couple of movies. We browsed book stores and made a wish list to take to the library.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the opportunity to attend Mass together, twice. Praying together is such a bonding experience even if there are lots of others sharing that time with you. Our regular organist is taking an extended leave of absence and I miss the music at daily Mass. Our two weekend Masses were full of both music and lovely songs. So refreshing!

We enjoyed the relative quiet.  It's different when the noises are things you do not have to attend to.

We renewed our relationship with each other.   Hard to do when life takes over at home.

We put away the cell phones, thankful that the older kids will not let the younger kids call us.

We've decided to make this a habit.  So, now, every two to three months we take off for the weekend.

God always blesses our time together.  We come back better spouses and better parents.

God Cares About the Little Things

In the days before online banking, as I was writing my return address on yet another envelope, I said a small prayer something to the effect of "Lord I wish I could afford some return address labels so paying the bills wouldn't take so long!" It was a very small prayer about a very trivial matter.

Guess what? God heard that prayer and continues to answer it to this day; for seemingly overnight, it became quite popular to include return address labels in mailings from organizations seeking donations. Within a few months I had more return address labels than I could possibly use. Even after we moved into our new home (13 years ago) God made sure I had labels.

To say that He cares about the little things is no little matter. How many times a day do we pray for a parking spot, an open lane to turn left into on a busy road, green lights when we're in a hurry. How about those prayers we whisper and then immediately forget about until we realize they have been answered.

Some people don't like to bother God about little things. I think He likes to answer the little prayers because He wants to please us and wants our faith in Him to grow. When He takes the time to answer our little prayers, He is showing us that He is never too busy for us. He is inviting us to trust Him in the big matters; that ones that won't be answered swiftly. He is challenging us to pray without ceasing and trust that little or big, our prayers are being heard and answered, sooner or later, in His time.

"This, Lord, Or Something Better."

I was reading my Daily Guideposts 2011 this morning and found this quote. The author of the meditation I was reading said that this is how a friend of hers ends each prayer. How beautiful is that?

We think we know what we want, how we want certain situations to turn out, the blessings we want for family and friends. Christ has told us to ask, seek and knock, and so we do. We ask for more money, we ask for health, we ask for help getting this or that job that looks so great, and so on.

Often our prayers are not answered the way in which we would like. How long does it take us to see the answer and, often, get over the disappointment before we realize that the answer is so much better than what we were praying for in the first place?

If we go into the prayer seeking God's Will, we are less likely to be disappointed with the answer, especially if it is not exactly the one for which we were hoping. How wise this woman is to place all her needs before the Lord and yet be so open to His Will over her own.

When people ask me to pray for something specific, I often find that I have a hard time doing that because I know God may have a different answer. I try, instead, to pray for His Will. Now I have a way to pray for what others ask me to pray for and to pray for my own needs, as well, without feeling like I'm trying to go around the will of God in my asking.

Now I can end my prayers this way, too: "This, Lord, or something better!"

"Come back to me..."

I decided the next topic would be about reconciliation. I had the title and was comtemplating the content when I left for Mass. Wouldn't you know it? The first reading was from the book of Hosea and it was about God calling His people to repentance.

Why do we flee from God? What makes us afraid to repent?

There is so much noise all around us. It's as if we are trying very hard not to have any quiet that may allow us to think about uncomfortable things. Perhaps we are really afraid to hear the voice of our conscience or the Holy Spirit calling us to a deeper relationship with God.

The first step in the journey is to listen. What is God saying to our hearts? His call to repentance is gentle but constant. Humility is so necessary for our turning back. We have to realize what our sin is and what is causing it. We have to be willing to let go of the sin and turn to God for all of our needs.

Confession is a humbling act. To voice our sins outloud, even if they are not grave, (but especially if they are) takes courage, humility, and a lot of trust. We have to understand that the graces we receive, as well as the forgiveness, will far outweigh the fear we feel before our confession. As the next line of the song says: "Don't let fear keep us apart." Turn back to God. Receive His forgiveness and start a new life in Christ.