I want to embrace the simplicity of the season. This season we are about to begin where we celebrate new life in Jesus through His miraculous birth. I desire to be able to focus on the true gifts of the season, time with family and friends. This season affords us time together to celebrate the beauty of the season, the gifts of Christ, and the gift of our life in this world.
Often, we allow Him to fall by the wayside as the battle of the season overtakes us and our families. We somehow forget the reason for this season. We think of all those we must not forget and in all that planning and buying we neglect the One who gave us life. He is always there waiting and ready for moments with us. Intentional effort is imperative in order to spend this span of life with those we love and Our Lord.
We all have those seasons of our lives where we cannot see straight. Life is just so busy, not necessarily over planned busy, but teeming with the life of children and family. One child has homework, one has practice, one has a forgotten project and the toddler just wants another snack and a little time reading on the couch with a frazzled momma. We try as best we can to juggle this madness, this season of life where we are very needed and very in demand. The requests and demands seem relentless and we reach exhaustion. We hit the bed at night utterly wiped out, not ready or prepared to do it again tomorrow. We utter to ourselves, ‘When will this madness end?’ and then we manage to muster a tired prayer…’I cannot do this forever but I am doing my best to cope, Lord.’
The good news is He doesn’t want us to just cope and manage. Our Lord desires for us to grow and thrive as we keep our eyes fixed on Him, Our Heavenly Father. He wants us to turn to Him. He asks us to take time each day to talk with Him, to lean into Him in the chaos, rely on Him and give it to Him. He can help relieve the strain. He will open ours eyes to respite and relief and little moments to breath if we allow Him. The secret is that we must grab the little moments of silence and the breaks He presents us. They are gifts, not more time to fill with our to do lists. He is attempting to give us what we need, but we must say, ‘Yes!’.
When we say yes to Him we also need to be open to saying yes to the reprieve He offers us through others. We cannot do ‘this’ alone. It is too much for each of us individually. He gives us each other as a means to sanctify us. We humble ourselves and others by accepting offers for help, an intermission from life, and an invitation to rest. We expose the very depths of who we are by sharing our struggles, sorrows, triumphs and pains. We open our hearts and our very being up to grace and charity. We allow it to flow in through others, by accepting their giving and love.
Two days ago I was feeling the strain of being all to all. I was overwhelmed but optimistic. I knew I had a dinner with friends lined up and was confident that I would feel completely renewed after this time. Little did I know emotions were brewing in our home. It built up as the day went on and about fifteen minutes before I planned to walk out the door, the flood gates crashed in. The emotion spewed out. It was like a volcano throwing hot lava on everything in it’s path, only this volcano could move around and it burned everyone!
We were all injured to different severity, but it really hit one of us hard. It was direct hit. There was emotion stirring in that volcano as well and now we had two going at once! I knew I needed to be the water to douse the fires and the aloe to soothe the burns, but I was supposed to be out my door and in my car, on my way to breathing, talking, a margarita, and good food. But I wasn’t. I accepted I needed to stay, but just until the emotions calmed a little. I still needed to recharge, especially after this, but I was miraculously calm and able to directly deal with the issue. I was even able to tell everyone in a soothing way that things would be okay, as well as, lay out some steps to calm in a ‘here’s what needs to happen…here’s the plan’ kind of way. My people scattered doing their assigned tasks and the calm came. The volcanoes stopped spewing ugliness and peace was restored. There was an uncertainty about if either would begin again…explode a second time. Through His grace and a peace He gave my heart through prayer, I was able to leave, to walk away and go seek my respite, my renewal.
That night I recognized my need to accept help from others even when I am certain I can do it myself. By this I mean positive that by my power alone things would change. But it was grace and God who intervened. It was Him who calmed our home and our hearts. God entered through each of us.
So that evening, I decided to pick up the phone and ask for more. I knew my dinner was a good start, but I still could feel the uneasiness in my heart with a few things and with my to do list for Thanksgiving. I knew a friend had offered the week before to help with my daughter and I was going to take her up on that offer. I said, ‘Yes!’ I allowed her to help me when I needed peace and a break. She was happy to do it. I was relieved and overjoyed. What a good decision. What a great ‘Yes!’
And then I noticed something spectacular, something I hadn’t felt in years. I could breath again. I am not sure how long it had been but my deep easy breathing, my ability to think and do had returned. I was not doing this alone. I had help. I had love. I had support. I had friends who were burning to share God’s love with me. I simply had to allow Him to work through them. I was saying no to God by saying no to my friends.
He wants me to be near to Him and to be able to do His work in the world. To do this I need support. His aid through those who surround me and lift me up with His love and their helping hands. We are in this together nourishing each other, encouraging others on the path to get to Heaven and drawing nearer to Him in this world.
So during this busy Advent and Christmas season I encourage you to reach out to others for assistance. Open your arms to their generosity and love. When we accept help we are giving ourselves the gift of time with Our Lord and being able to spend some slower moments with family and friends because we are not stretched so thin.
God understands the busyness, but He does not allow us to use it an excuse for not being with Him and those we love. He also created friends and supports for us to be able to do all that He asks of us rightly.
Call to Act: Look at your life. Where is He asking you to say yes to the love and support He is sending your way? In what areas do you need to breathe again? Who has offered you help that you have declined or turned away, falsely believing you could do it on your own or without ‘putting them out’? I encourage you, sister, to say yes to these offers. Pick up the phone and accept. Breathing again is glorious!
St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us that through these busy times in our lives we may readily rely on holy friends, as you counted on each other. Pray that we may be willing to assist each other in times of need and accept help from one and other. Ask God to lift us up to give us the strength to bring each other closer Him, through our love and gifts of time and aid. Beg for humility for us as we accept help and generous gifts of love. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Saint Francis of Assisi
St. Francis, growing up wealthy, having dreams of becoming a knight, denounced his wealth and life of comfort and left his family to serve the poor and preach, after hearing God’s call in a dream. The great fervor with which he served the poor and the poverty in which he sought and lived is admirable. St. Francis is most known for founding the Franciscan order in the small town of Assisi, Italy and for his great love and connection with all of God’s creation, including animals. There are many stories about animals listening to him preach and dangerous creatures that became tame. He embraced poverty, was well loved by all, a leader from the start. Many sought his guidance and friendship, including St. Clare of Assisi. Learn more about him here. https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=50
Saint Clare of Assisi
Clare was a dear friend of St. Francis of Assisi and foundress of Clare’s Order of Poor Ladies, also known as the Poor Clares. She too had a passion for radical poverty and austerity, living this out in San Damiano, near St. Francis. She served her sisters as the abbess for many years, once defending them from physical attack with a monstrance in hand and a passionate prayer on her lips. St. Clare also insisted their congregation’s intense poverty remain intact, fighting off attempts by numerous popes to change the rules of her order. Her devotion to Our Lord and passion for serving in great poverty mirrors that of St. Francis. Read more about her here. https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=215