Demanding

Infinite service and infinite pity. 

I am a mother.  This is a blessing to me, and I am well-aware of how many women are unable to become mothers – in a biological sense – and who are unable to experience both the joys and trials of motherhood.  I am even more aware of this great blessing in my life because I have discovered (after becoming a mother) that I experience a condition in my body that should have made it impossible (or at least very very difficult) for me to have biological children.  According to the doctors I should never have been able to have any children at all.  I consider myself very very lucky that God chose not to try me with the heartbreak of primary infertility…

And yet – despite all this blessing – I still experience moments of being overwhelmed by my responsibilities as a mother.  Sometimes, when my children are behaving badly or demanding things from me that are difficult or even just squabbling amongst themselves, I feel that the-is life that I have been given is simply too demanding for me.

And as I have been reflecting on that I have encountered the words of the Gospel as Christ also experienced the sorrow of the people around Him being demanding…

“Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’” (Matthew 14:13-21).I am being called to follow the example of Christ.  Christ was not on call at certain times and then unavailable at others.  Christ was on call always for those who were demanding of His time.  He was not angry when others made demands on Him – quite the opposite – Christ was compassionate and empathetic.  He felt “pity” for those demanding souls...

And I suppose in a way, as a mother, I also experience a similar pity for my demanding children, which is why I so often do whatever they need me to do.

And I have been thinking about that today.  Perhaps that frustration that I can so often experience or the stress that I feel when everything seems oh so demanding to me is just a little kiss from God to remind me that He knows that feeling and I should remember how He handled that – through service, infinite service and pity, infinite pity…

Infinite service and infinite pity.  Such wonderful aspirations to have!

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