It is so easy to live each day by simply getting by and doing ‘just enough’. Perhaps we are not doing the minimum, but are we really doing our very best in each and every situation?
I began thinking about this idea when I was folding the laundry the other day. I rushed and folded them into little piles which I thought were ‘neat enough’. Yes, we are busy and sometimes we need to rush and if that is our best effort in that moment then that is definitely good enough. In this instance however, I was rushing simply to watch a program on TV.
Each morning when I wake up, I try to pray the Morning Offering, a beautiful prayer offering our whole day to God, our prayers, joys, sufferings, intentions etc. If I presented God with that badly folded pile of clothes, then is that the very best work I have to give Him?
We are not going to be able to offer great things to our Lord each day; but this does not matter. Our Lord is not counting how much or the amount of greatness we achieve. Rather, he is looking at how much love we put into each task we have to do.
Think about these simple things:
- How you make your bed each morning (could it be done more neatly?)
- How you get your kids ready for school (do you constantly rush them or speak abruptly?)
- How you greet the mums at school drop offs and pickups (is it always hurried or are there days you could stop and make a little time to get to know them better?)
- How you serve your husband his meals (could you try a different recipe from time to time or serve him something he enjoys more?)
- How you clean up the kitchen at the end of each night (is it left tidy or is the benchtop still scattered with objects?)
Most of the time, we are trying the hardest we can – especially having to juggle kids and housework. Still, it may be good to just stop and reflect on how we could improve ourselves in some little way.
For me personally, by the end of the night, it certainly feels like I am JUST surviving until the kids go to bed. My usual attitude is that each thing I do brings me one step closer to their bed time! For most mums, the night time routine may seem tricky as we are usually faced with tired children (and tired parents!).
We usually see to the kids bath time, getting them into pyjamas, brushing their teeth, reading a story and finally negotiating to get into bed!
If all these actions are done well each night and offered up to our Lord, then this is HEROIC! As long as an action is difficult for us, we will be blessed with many graces if we choose to do it well.
And to remember, the more difficult the action for us, the more grace we receive in that moment to overcome it.
The trick is to KEEP TRYING!
Never think that a task is too little to pay importance to. If you see two unwashed cups on the kitchen counter, try not to leave them there to be cleared later. Do it now, without giving in to laziness, and do it out of love for your family, not to feel like a servant but instead to joyfully serve.
For mums, the home is certainly a good place to start. As soon as we turn around, there is usually something that needs to be done. Mother Theresa said we need to “be faithful in the small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
We must all be very ordinary, but at the same time extraordinary! The saints were just like you and I, but in each moment of their lives they chose to rise above mediocre standards, striving for perfection and holiness in all they did. They kept persevering and they never gave up.
This is our path to heaven, and to sainthood! To be determined to seek holiness in every opportunity and to sanctify ourselves each day. It can be so heroic to practice saying that little ‘no’ to yourself from time to time and avoid giving in to our whims.
It matters to take care in the little things. Why? This way, we will be more in control of our actions, instead of letting human impulses drag us down. St Josemaria said, “be very attentive to the minutest of details, for the holiness that Our Lord demands of you is to be achieved by carrying out with love of God your work and your daily duties, and these will almost always consist of small realities.”
As mothers, let us try our best in every moment, to improve ourselves a little each day. Whether it is a cheerful smile to change the mood of the family or folding that pile of laundry neatly. It is never too late to begin, we are all called to be holy, and we can start today!
Originally posted 2015-05-13 12:00:42.