Deep

There is only a moment in which we can make decisions, and it seems to me that sometimes we need a lifetime to prepare for that exact moment.

Saint Monica Prays for her Wayward Eldest Son (Jen Norton)

I have been praying for my children lately.

They are adolescents.  This is just another way of saying that they are young adults.  And like any young person, they are less experienced in the world that adults who are older.

I have good children who are a blessing to me.  However, like all children they are learning to make their way in the world.  When they were very young it was actually a lot easier.  I could guide them and help them and direct them more easily.  However, as they grow older they establish their own place.  I am blessed – by the Grace of God – that they do not cause me great distress with things like drugs and alcohol and other immoral and dangerous things.   But this does not mean that there are no worries.  There are many…

The older they become the more I find myself wondering how to influence them so that they will make choices that I believe are in their own best interests.  And yet, the older they become the less influence I seem to have on them.  And this is where I was stuck in my prayers the other day…  I was thinking to myself how is it going to be possible to encourage my children to do the right thing.  And then, it occurred to me – I would not be able to influence my children at all.  Instead, I would ask God to do it for me.

For every instance that I wished to whisper in their ear to encourage them to make the right choices, I would ask God to whisper in their soul instead.  For every fear that I had for their wellbeing because of a decision they were making, I would ask God to strengthen their wisdom and inspire them to make the right choices instead.

I would ask God to allow them to make a deep examination of conscience and really see their sins as God sees them.  I would ask Him to inspire them to reflect on the grave offences to His Sacred Heart and to experience genuine horror for the terrible sins that every human soul commits almost without caring.

For their sanctification I would entrust them entirely to God.  I would ask Him to use me as His instrument to direct my children.  In this way, maybe God would grant me the Grace to direct me as well.

There is only a moment in which we can make decisions, and it seems to me that sometimes we need a lifetime to prepare for that exact moment.

And I have been thinking about that today as I have been reflecting on how much of my time, I spend trying to do the work that God Himself can do on my behalf.  And it seems to me that I have spent a lifetime deep in the midst of worries that only my Beloved could alleviate.

And how much I love my Beloved…  How much…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.