It was breakfast time at Janet's house.
The baby was in the high chair watching
her brother and sister fight over who gets the
Mickey Mouse plate. The kids
didn't want cereal for breakfast, nor did they
want eggs and toast. Not
having much left in the house to fix, Janet
was beginning to feel crabby. Why
did the morning have to start like this?
Janet took a deep breath, and vowed to
remain patient.
Breakfast is done, and it's time to get the
chores started. Still trying
to remain cheery, Janet assigns a small chore
to her five year old, and another one to her
eight year old. The kids
are not in the mood for chores, and they drag
their feet, begging to be motivated.
"If we can get our chores done, we can
go play miniature golf", Janet announces to
her son and daughter. "This
is going to take forever", her daughter counters.
Just then the baby starts to cry.
Janet has to tend to her little one,
and this gives the older ones the perfect outlet
for abandoning their chores. Not
having the energy or the patience to deal with
her children's noncompliance, Janet wonders
why she feels so out of sorts. Then
suddenly, she remembers. Opting
to sleep in a little this morning, Janet had
skipped her morning meditation.
Is motherhood possible without God?
Sure, I suppose it is, but regular spiritual
practice sure makes life as a mom much easier.
There are many ways to engage in spiritual
rituals, and each has its benefits.
What works for one person may not be
the answer for someone else, but if you find
the right outlet or combination of practices,
life will be more fulfilling and peaceful.
Meditation
For Janet, meditation was the answer.
By spending 30 minutes every morning
in a quiet space listening to her meditation
program, she is able to connect to God and find
the peace, patience and positive energy
she needs to get through her day.
The purpose of meditation is to clear
your mind and body of negative energy, and center
your soul so you are one with God.
Meditation is an excellent way to relax
and unwind at the end of a busy day as well.
Prayer
There is power in prayer.
Have you ever had a parenting problem
you couldn't solve on your own?
I have. When my older
son was in middle school, he was hanging out
with a group of boys in the neighborhood that
were unhealthy for him. Everyday
these boys would get together, and there was
always yelling and arguing over something.
I tried to encourage my son to find some
new friends, explaining to him what a healthy
friendship looks like. I
talked myself blue in the face, and the fighting
continued. Exasperated, I
turned to prayer. I started
praying for God to remove these boys from his
life. I prayed for awhile,
and then forgot about the situation.
One day, I woke up and realized that
this group of boys that were once in my son's
life, were now gone. They
hadn't moved, or even had a big blowout.
God intervened and answered my prayer.
Today my son hangs with a good group
of kids in high school. Prayer
gives you the strength to face life's
challenges, and God gives you the wisdom
to make the best choices.
Journaling
The other night I was talking to a friend.
She was telling me about her recent spa
getaway and the wonderful experiences she had
pampering herself. There
was one incident, during her massage, that her
soul opened up and feelings of sadness tried
to engulf her. Waiting until
after her massage, she went back to her resort
room and pulled out her journal.
The letter began, "Dear God".
All the feelings of grief and sorrow
poured out of her onto the piece of paper.
Journaling is a release, a way
to purge your mind and spirit of the
thoughts and feelings that are weighing you
down. The result of a good
journaling experience is often clarity, resolve
and refreshment.
Nature
Yesterday I went out for a walk in the morning.
It was a cool day, with a perfect breeze
for walking. The night before
it had stormed, so the clouds were still thick
and actively moving across the sky.
As I made my way around the ecosystem,
I made eye contact with a beautiful Saint Bernard
dog sitting peacefully in his yard.
I noticed a big bird playing in the water.
The wild flowers and grasses were swaying
gently in the wind. Looking
around, I was reminded of the beauty and wonder
of God's creation. Spending
quiet time in nature grounds you and
helps you appreciate the gifts God has
given you. Nature simplifies
our life, if only for a few moments.
The Arts
I define the arts as anything that is created
by another individual for the purpose of inspiring
others. Any work of art can
speak to us. Whether it's
a good book, inspirational song, or a beautiful
painting, art has a way of touching our soul.
By listening to, reading or admiring
other works of art, we can heal, rejuvenate,
and be encouraged. God
speaks to us through other people.
Just like others move us through their
creations, we can return the same gift with
our works of art. The process
of creating connects us to our soul, and
puts us in touch with the Master Creator.
Community Fellowship
and Service
Every year our church organizes an event called
Operation Helping Hands. The
purpose of this event is to bring the hands
and feet of God into the community, and be of
service to the many people that need our help.
This year our family was assigned to
Eastwood, low income housing units, in the city
of Aurora. Our job was to
paint a room inside one of the resident's homes.
Although the resident didn't get a choice,
she was blessed with a beautiful and sunny yellow
paint. As we began to transform
her living room, our hearts were being changed
forever. There is nothing
that gives greater joy than to know you
are making life a little better for another
individual. And an even bigger
gift for me was hearing my teenager tell me
how good he felt about helping this grateful
family. Being a part of a
community group like church, or any organization
that serves mankind, reminds you that you
are not alone in this world.
By serving other individuals and
receiving support when you need it, life
becomes a little easier. God
created us to be in fellowship with other people
so that we can learn and grow together in
love.
Regular spiritual practice is essential for
one's total emotional and physical health.
We were created by God and must remain
connected to God to experience the spiritual
benefits He has planned for us.
Where else can you get an abundant
supply of unconditional love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self control that is required for motherhood?
