I'd like to share my Wednesday with you. Dominic insisted we light the Advent wreath at breakfast, which we usually only do at dinner time. So light it I did and we sang "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and offered our days to God. I had a lot to do that day. I gave it to our Blessed Mother and ask she guide my day and help me get done only what Heaven wanted me to. Geoff had the day off so I was going out Christmas and grocery shopping while Doc and Daddy got some quality time together. I started the day around 11:30 with confession. Feeling pretty good afterwards, I headed to my first stop, a local resale shop. After I purchased a few gifts, I went to the car to realize I locked my keys inside. Fresh off a confession joy, it wasn't a big deal and I called my husband who promptly came to bail me out and unlock the doors.
Next it was off to the local Catholic Gift Store where I was blessed to work for 4 years, actually until the day Dominic was born. I collected the items I needed and right before checkout, my former co-worker mentioned that she needed to go pick up her daughter from school. She was a half hour late and was the only one there to man the store which was having a much needed busy time. I offered to man the store for her if she felt comfortable with it (it had been 2.5 years since I worked there aside from helping out a few times when needed.) She thanked me and said she'd be only 15 minutes and asked the Holy Spirit to help me remember how to run the register and such if I needed. It all came back to me quite easily and I sold $80 worth of goods. When she returned, I told her I had a lot to do and needed to get going but just after check out a gentleman walked through the door. He said hello but passed us and proceeded to go to the back (he was there to visit the boss man). My former co-worker called his name and introduced him to me as a future priest, a seminarian for the Diocese of Madison. We ended up chatting for a little, mostly about the Liturgy. I was very impressed to hear of his orthodoxy and love for Latin, he will be a great priest! The boss man came down and pressed him to tell me about some of the blessings God has given him. He seemed hesitant and very humble about it. The boss man told me this future priest had a gift of healing, spiritual and physical. The future priest expounded a little and told me about some incredible graces God has given him recently, which were so awesome I probably shouldn't share. After an astounding conversation, he ended up praying over me and afterwards, I can't even tell you the peace I felt. He then told me that I am right where God wants me at this moment. He said I am doing a wonderful job in my vocation as a wife and mother and that He called my two babies home to be with Him...God has a plan for our family. It was just what I needed to hear. You see I've been thinking about how one of the hardest adjustments for me with becoming a mother is giving up, or rather changing some aspects of my relationship with God. I can't make it to daily Mass everyday or wisk off to adoration whenever I want and stay all hours of the night. Truth be told I miss these things. But I know that my offerings in my wifely and motherly duties have much merit and can lead me to holiness in the same way, if I offer it all to Him. He reminded me of that. I left the store thanking God for taking charge of my day. Though I hadn't gotten much done and it was getting late, I knew that I locked the keys in my car and offered to man the store because otherwise, this encounter wouldn't have happened. It seems like it's been a while since God has been so blatantly visible in my day. I wonder if God would say that it's been a while since I've been so blatantly visible in His.
This Advent has been a very busy one. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior as a sweet little babe, i also prepare the way for the birth of the sweet little babe in my womb. The past 34 weeks has sure flown by and I can't believe that hour is drawing so near. We've been doing a lot to prepare the house for our homebirth, though much is left to be done. I feel my prayer this Advent could be better, but I've been trying hard to offer each daily action, each pregnancy discomfort, and each motherly challenge and joy as my prayer. I am feeling so very blessed today and thank God for being here, in my life every single day.
Heavenly Father,
You who through the incarnation gave us your only Son
and fulfilled your promise of salvation,
be with me in this time of Advent.
Show me how to be the voice crying out
and prepare the way of Your coming in my home,
in my family,
and in every aspect of my life. Amen.
