Today's Gospel reading Mathew 24:42-51
"Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." Mathew 24:42
What if a friend you haven't seen in forever, or your mother, or a perspective buyer of your home was to show up at your door step unexpected. What if you did not know the day or hour they were to come. I would be a stress case for sure! I am one of these who likes to have my house pristine when I have a visitor. (one of these days I am going to get over that....) I like to have candles going, coffee brewed, music playing and for sure toys picked up. However, you should see my house daily around 3:00 PM. I love to see my children use their imagination and play till their hearts are content. Therefore, one might find around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, tents and forts built in the middle of the living room, baskets stacked up that were made into little houses, legos upon legos put perfectly together by these precious minds. It is a zoo! As I sip and drink my afternoon coffee and say some prayers, I love listening to their conversations and make believe world. I,however, would be mortified if someone that has never been to my home knocked on my door to see my home in such a disarray. I take pride and joy in my little home and would never want anyone to think I don't properly care for my home. But the most important thing is to know in my heart that I care for my home properly but I also let my children be children and play. Too many families are scattered in all different directions and overscheduled. Too many children are in school at such early ages and don't have the luxury of playing peaceful as a child in their home. So the person who arrived at my door would just have to either walk away or embrace the love and happiness this humble abode. They don't need to know that by 6:00 everything is put back into its place, dinner is on the table and mom is plum worn out. The only person that needs to see this is Our Lord.
So the moral of this story is.....no eyes matter but Jesus' eyes. He is the one we should be living for every minute of the day. If he showed up at my door step around 3:00 in the afternoon, I truly hope and believe He would tell me "Well done, My good and faithful servant. Enter into my Kingdom." For He knows my heart and my heart is to serve He and my family and this house alone.....nothing else in this world. He doesn't care about having a pristine home at all times and the way the "surface looks". He cares about what is in the heart. He wants us to have a pristine and beautiful heart. He doesn't want to find us mothers looking perfectly outside the home and playing the "one-up game" with our neighbor of who has the bigger home and fancier car and more perfect life. He wants to find us on our knees hugging the child in "mourning" when they get hurt, folding the huge pile of laundry that clothe the naked, feeding mac and cheese to the "hungry" and giving sippy cups of water to the "thirsty". Giving hugs to the "pure of heart" and being the "peacemakers" of sibling rivalry. He wants us showing "mercy" to the little one who breaks your favorite piece of china. He wants to embrace us as we are "poor in spirit" facing another day of a sick child. And finally He brings great joy to see our "humility" in the work we do as mothers and blesses us when we receive "persecution" from the world.
There you have it....the Beatitudes all wrapped up in the Vocation of Motherhood. Jesus tells us through this work, we will inherit the Kingdom of God. As mothers, we are wealthy in Gods eyes by the work we do. Nothing else in the world matters. So today, as the toys are scattered and your home seems a bit unpeaceful at the moment, rest in the arms of Jesus. For His work is happening right before your eyes. Souls are being formed for Eternity through the forts, and legos and baby dolls......The formation of your children's souls that will live forever happen inside the walls of your home. What more could we ask for as mothers than to witness the Kingdom of God as hand? So forget about impressing the unexpected guest. For the only one we need to live to impress is Jesus. He sees our homes when they are perfectly picked up and clean. The question is.....how does He see your heart?
Blessings to you this Thursday! I will be getting a new computer soon. I miss writing daily.
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