Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

“The ordinary acts we practice every day at home

are of more importance to the soul

than their simplicity might suggest.” 

- St. Thomas More {emphasis added by moi}

Especially coming off of a long weekend with Luke out of town, I needed to hear these words from St. Thomas More.  {Proof that God speaks through random friends' Facebook statuses :)} 

There were more than a few occasions during the weekend that I lost sight of the supernatural aspect of my Vocation as a wife and mother.  

I lost sight of the big picture.

My vocation is not just about giving baths, making dinners, rocking babies to sleep, sweeping floors, and cleaning up toys--it's about the love {or lack thereof} with which I do those things day in and day out. 

It's  about remembering to offer up the sufferings and hard moments of my day for the sanctification of my children's souls--and my soul. 

It's about remembering that the sacrifices I make for my family can either be made with love or with frustration and resentment.

It's about remembering {in the heat of a very difficult moment} that my child is a Beloved Son of God and, for that reason alone, he never deserves to be yelled at.

As St Thomas More so beautifully suggests, ordinary acts are really not so ordinary at all. 

All day long, with every decision that I make, I am given the opportunity to grow in holiness and in my relationship with the Lord. 

Every decision is a decision whether or not to love.

{I wish I chose to right path more often}.

It is a constant struggle.

I stumble when I see things through the eyes of the world, rather than through the eyes of God.

The world judges by success. 

The world makes me want to be perfect in the eyes of the world.

Yet, in reality, it matters not what the world thinks

.

God judges by love and demands only faithfulness.

And if I lose sight of that, I lose sight of what is really important

...regardless of how well behaved my children are, how clean my house is

{or how handsome my husband is :)}.

Today is a new day.

Love will be my motivation for everything.

In the words of St. Augustine, 

"Love, and do what you will."

Amen! 

And where was Luke this past weekend, you ask??  Orlando, Florida.  Although the purpose of the trip was to play a soccer game Saturday night, he and his team spent all day Sunday soaking up the sun and the fun at Disney World...while I prayed my way through day three of single parenthood.  Boy, are we happy to have him back at home!