ENOUGH WITH TRYING TO KEEP UP!

Gospel reading Luke 17:11-19
First Reading Wisdom 6:1-11
"So then, make my teaching your treasure and joy, and you will be well instructed." Wisdom 6:11

The book of Wisdom is one of my very favorite chapters in the bible. So much of it is easy to relate to and very black and white. I believe wisdom is one of the greatest gifts we can receive from the Holy Spirit. For if we have wisdom, we will know the will of God. I find relief and comfort in the reading from Wisdom today. If we make God's teaching our treasure and joy, we will be well instructed in raising our children and taking care of our family. Our hearts will be joyous as we instruct our children on how to behave and conduct themselves in this life. As I was getting my second cup of coffee to start writing this morning, I looked up on my refridgerator and saw all of the beautiful and perfect baby announcements, birthday invitations, baby shower invitations. Those things are wonderful but I thought to myself ...where are our hearts? Are they consumed with these kind of things or are they consumed in being the best mother we can be? If I let myself, I can easily get caught up in the holiday mind consumption of our family christmas cards, gifts for everyone, christmas dresses for my girls, finding the picture perfect decorations for my home.....and the list goes on. I think to myself today, are we out of control trying to out-do the other and make our lives look perfect on the outside while we are dying on the inside just trying to keep up? We mothers have enough on our plate just to take care of our family and home the best we can and we you put all the other "stuff" on top of it , it is easily to start feeling stressed and frazzled. God tells us today that his teaching of love & simplicity will bring us joy in teaching our children the true meaning of life. I tend to start lashing out at my children if my mind is consumed and stressed with other things. I am going to challenge myself to just LET IT ALL GO! Throw all of the expectations of the here and now & the upcoming holiday season out the window! I am going to focus on the teaching we receive in scripture and in our hearts and enjoy being a mother to my children and a wife to my husband. If I get a christmas card printed in a day....great but I am not going to worry about it. If I put up the decorations I already have and not worry about going to buy new, then beautiful.....my home will look just right. I am going to enjoy the next month and half by being a joyful mother and teaching my children the story of the Pilgrims & Indians and baby Jesus. We are going to enjoy simple days of giggling, drawing pictures of the Mayflower, running around and being silly. Enough with the, excuse me, but crap. I am so tired of feeling like I need to be all, do all and that my life is perfect. It is far from perfect and I am just a happy yet frazzled mother of 3 and wife of a stressed, self employed and loving husband . God's yoke is easy and his burden is light and why does our world make things so difficult?

Today, take a deep breath and think of letting God's treasure and joy reign in your hearts. Your family and yourself will feel so much more joy and YOU will be free. Oh, God's wisdom is so good!

Blessings to you this Wednesday!