“In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in
the hill country…” Luke 1:39
I grumble. A lot. Seems to me, that this is unbecoming to a Christian wife and mother, so I’ve been taking my attitude to prayer. Now, admittedly, I’ve taken this habit to prayer before, but recently I’ve been praying about it in a spirit of repentance. I really want to change. I don’t think I dignify my vocation if I walk about with a scowl on my face all day. And do my children really want to grow up and fulfill their vocations as married persons, if they think there’s no joy to found there?
So, yesterday, as I was loading my washing machine, I began to
grumble. I hadn’t even begun to form a sentence in my head, when I
found myself desiring to just “turn off” that voice in my head. And
so I did. And I marched on with my work, choosing to fill my mind
with something that wouldn’t drag me down. Praise God! And so my
attitude was better from that one small victory yesterday. I’ve
thought about it a lot in the last 24 hours, and today during my
Rosary, I was contemplating Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and one phrase
just beamed out at me. Mary “went with haste.” She heard the Word of
God and she made haste to complete the task that God had given her.
Scripture makes absolutely no mention of Mary’s thoughts. All we know
is that she went with haste. As a wife and mother, I’m called to
imitate the one perfect model of spouse and mother, who is Mary. If
Mary makes haste, shouldn’t I? If my vocation requires that I serve
those around me via menial tasks that are taken for granted time and
time again, shouldn’t I still make haste to fulfill those duties?
Surely, Mary did not pause to grumble.
Today, I humbly ask my Mother’s help to take St. Paul’s advice:
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. I must
make haste to accomplish God’s will, and take no time for grumbling!
1 comment:
Kristin - I love this post. I'm the worst offender in the grumbling dept. I try to remember that when I do something menial and unnoticed, it's an even better gift to God, as He may be the only one who ever knows I've done it (like when I've just finished mopping the kitchen floor and the kids all come tromping through with muddy shoes!). I get no "glory" at all! When I do remember this, it makes even the most menial chores seem worthwhile. Most of the time,though, I forget and waste my time grumbling. Thanks for the reminder!
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