PLOWING FORWARD IN MOTHERHOOD

Today's Gospel Reading Luke 9:57-62
"....I will follow you Sir, but let me first go say goodbye to my family. Jesus said to him, Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God."

I found myself this morning in this reading of Luke. Fear, selfishness and pride keeps me from totally surrendering myself to God and His will. I need to go visit the lonely in the nursing home, but it is too hard with three small children. I would like to go to weekday mass, but my kids will be too loud. I need to give more to the poor but I really need a new pair of those sassy boots from the J Crew magazine. I probably need to sign up for that class to learn more about my faith, but I know enough for the time being. And the list goes on for me.... I am sure we all find ourselves somewhere in this reading. What keeps us from giving up everything and following Jesus? We are told we will recieve abundant graces and happiness if we surrender ourselves to the Lord. So why don't we?

I feel we surrender ourselves to the Lord by surrendering to our families. We give up so much to be the best mother and wife we can be. We give up our lives for our families. So I think we should not be so hard on ourselves. In motherhood, there is no stopping. You have to keep plowing forward and look to the future. We can never go back to the way life use to be. So embrace this beautiful vocation that helps us to be better followers of Christ. Like Jesus says..."whoever loses his life, will save it." By "losing" our lives to our families, we are saving our souls for eternity because we are surrendering ouselves to Jesus. For Jesus is in the midst of our home and family.

Take a deep breath and don't be so hard on yourself. However, surrender all of you fears, doubts, self-serving ways to the Lord and you will start living a much more peaceful and beautiful life and your children will learn from you and do the same someday. We need to be the examples in this selfish world of giving up our lives for our faith and family. Teaching our children to do acts of love and mercy by visiting the lonely. Teaching our children how important our faith is by taking them to church even when it is hard or when everyone is tired. We live in a very lazy, "what's in it for me" society. To change this mentality, it starts with us at home. We will be doing our children a favor if we surrender ourselves to Jesus. To keep plowing forward and not look to the left or the right or backwards....but keeping our eyes fixed on eternal things and not the silly wasteful things of the world.

So, plow on! Have a blessed Wednesday!