The new year is up and running:-, and as the brighter days come, and the sunlight filters in: all the dust - spots in the house and jammy hand -prints stuck to the T.V. screen emerge in all their glory.
Some stuff I just can't manage to give my time to right now, so I have to prioritise. That "priority" usually takes the form of my children, using the sofa - as a gymnastics arena, and a quantity of spilt milkshake.
Life sure likes to keep us busy!
I like a clean house, but I know my kids will be adults in the twinkling of an eye,~ (and having to clean up their own messes,) so for now, my priority is to give them what they seem to need most of...my time.
Now I don't intend to speak of my personal life on this blog too often, for fear of boring everyone wit-less, but just now and again I might make an exception - (so you have now been forewarned!)
When I think of saints Martha and Mary, those two biblical sisters, I can sympathise with Martha, rushing around trying to get the housework done and in that way, make everyone feel welcome; and what did Martha do? Well, She sat on her tush ... and made them welcome by listening to them and giving them her time.
Do kids think of housework (unless we remind them?) or worry what people think of them?
Jesus said, "Unless you change and become as little children you cannot enter the kingdom of God".
Maddenning isn't it? We spend our youth trying to be grown up and adult, and now Jesus invites us to change and "become little" again.
(However, its not an invite to neglect the housework, jump about on the sofa, and become naiive to the evils of spilt chocolate milkshake...)
I think with these words Jesus is asking us to make our lives simpler, by letting go of what is not important.
What is not important of course, is all the stuff that hinders that there "Kingdom of God" coming upon us.
I am speaking about the mountain of material goods we acquire in a lifetime, and the personal stuff, the fads, fears, addictions, obsessions, the bad habits, un-forgiveness we hang onto from unresolved hurts, and the pet plans which never came to fruition.
Most folks have seen the film portrayal of Joseph Marley in Dicken's tale of "Scrooge". His avarice in this life has created heavy chains trinketed with cash boxes, which weigh down his restless soul. His attachments keep him earth bound, and he cannot approach the light of God. He warns Scrooge not to be deceived by the consequences of worldly gain.
How far does this iconic image reflect our own lives? If we find ourselves changing our schedule to fit around the viewing of a soap opera, or fretting that we might have missed the shoe sale, perhaps hanging on to someone elses posessions or money, overspending on stuff we don't really need ~ short-changing folks, saving for the next botox fix, then we are entering the arena of obsession and addiction.
Our strength to resist such practices is weakened and eventually the will of the soul is no longer free to make the choice. The habits control us. These are signs that our souls have become bonded (chained) by our habits...It is time for a spiritual "spring clean" in order to set our souls free again, and to turn to God as our Father.
Its not easy to recognise we own all this "stuff", in fact like the jammy handprint on the T.V. screen, we are so in the dark we just can't spot it. These things just build up over time,like Marley's chains.
Yes, you guessed what I am about to say; we need to ask for God's grace in all this to shed some light on the tangled mess we spent our youth creating.
And when the light comes, we recoil from the effort needed to clean up the newly discovered mess.
I know at this point, my kids would be shouting "Mum, mum, I can't do it! Help!"So its not a bad start in "becoming as a little child," to take their example, and to call on "mum" (Mary) to help us out. Well, at the incarnaton whe was espoused by the Hoy Spirit, its one of those "Go on mum, ask "Dad" for us...!" moments.
If I can spend my time with my kids now, before they get all grown up, I hope that I can show them the way to be at peace with themselves and God, and make "spending time" with Him a priority.
After mass today, I made a priority decision: I sat in the pew and just accepted that I had received Jesus, king of all creation into my being. I know that the church teaches he remains with us for about fifteen minutes;
Catholics beleive that Jesus would not lie to us when he said " My blood is real drink, and my body is real food" - we belive at this time he feeds our soul in a particular way that only His flesh and blood can. - (the presence of the Holy Spirit within our baptised soul, continues to remain with us throughout life, if we choose not to push him out through willed sin.) And so, for that time, I put aside all I had to do this day. I did not feel any great sensation of "Holiness", it was enough to know he had stooped to come to me. I did not have to do anything physical, just be still and know that he is God. (What sanctuary for a busy mum..!)
I cannot know the out come of how I am to spend eternity, but in these moments, I can own that my soul has encountered heaven.
That's got to be worth spending quality time on too!
(PHOTOS:1: Hutton in the forest gardens, Cumbria 2: one of many Teds 3:Cumbrian forst 4: Our lady of Fatima 5: Divine Mercy collage. 6: lake district scene
