A Prayer Reminder for Moms

I was reminded of a very beautiful thing tonight as I put my kids to bed. At first, I jumped into the task begrudgingly, thinking of the dishes left undone and feeling tired from a busy day. Then I took a minute to pour out my heart to Jesus:

“I haven’t made time for you. That’s why I feel the way I do! Everything seems harder right now. I am tired of taking care of our home, doing the laundry, putting the kids to bed…I just want time to pray!”

It’s true, my Lenten resolution of getting up to pray before I start my morning with the kids has been hit or miss. Thanks to late nights and a need for sleep, I have rolled out of bed just a few minutes before I have to start my morning more days than not.

And I can tell a difference. When I don’t have quiet prayer time to let the Lord’s love in and refuel, I show up differently.

Tonight, I felt the Lord look at me with compassion. He sees how tired I am. He sees my desire to get up earlier.

But He also reminded me, “I am here in your daily task.”

Then I remembered: I can encounter Jesus every minute of the day! In each task, there is an opportunity to not only do the task for Love, but to do the task with Love. With Jesus.

One of my dearest Saint friends taught me this. St. Elizabeth of the Trinity was a Carmelite whose spirituality of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit has inspired me to encounter Jesus in me as well as those around me. She said, “I have found Heaven on earth, since heaven is God, and God is in my soul.”

So tonight, as I read the same story I read every night, hugging my Josie tight on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, I realized I was hugging Jesus in her.

As I changed the sheets, I saw myself doing this with Jesus.

As I went about my duties, like I so often do mindlessly, tonight was different. St. Elizabeth reminded me this is the way I am invited to pray right now.

And my desire to go pray in the chapel, alone, with only me and Jesus, is beautiful.

But for now, I get to pray with Jesus, surrounded by my family and the dishes that still need to be done.

And that is beautiful too.