I have to praise God for something.....This past weekend when we went off to the lake to spend some time together. It wasn't going at all like I had hoped. The kids were really being crabby with each other and Jeremy and I seemed to be tense with each other and with the kids as well. I felt heart broken. Jeremy and I talked to the kids about not arguing but in no time at all, they were arguing again.....We were all just crabby! We were laughing and playing together, but not feeling genuinely happy. I was out of ideas! We really needed this weekend together to reconnect and just enjoy each other!!! Now we were here together and I wished that I could be somewhere else.
Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of something that I read recently.....when I feel like I have done all that my human mind can configure and just frustrated and feeling helpless "Blessed are the poor in Spirit", I finally hear my Jesus saying "Leave them to me". "Give them to me, Kerry and I will take care of them.....you are just getting in the way sometimes" (with my many words and solutions). When I finally listened to His voice in my heart, it was like running to my daddy....weak and weary and just throwing myself into his arms, knowing that he has to be the one to fix it and he will fix it because he loves me so much!! I felt all of those feelings of relief that a child feels in the arms of her earthly father, but I was being held this time by my Heavenly Father! It was in His strong arms that I was finally consoled. I knew that I wanted to offer my family, along with myself to our Jesus for some reshaping in His Hands. I found these 2 amazing devotions for mothers and I recited them with such beautiful desperation and trust! My exhaustion and "depleted-ness" was such an intimate gift from my Jesus
FOR FIDELITY IN A MOTHER'S VOCATION
Dear God, give me the grace to appreciate the dignity of motherhood, which Thou hast been pleased to bestow upon me, and to fulfill its duties according to Thy Will. By my prayers and good example, may I lead my husband and my children closer to Thy Sacred Heart. Make me a devoted wife to my husband and a good mother to my children after the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Almighty God, I thank Thee for the blessed care and protection with which Thou hast embraced my family. I humbly submit to Thy decrees and resign myself to Thy Divine Providence. I grasp Thy guiding hand, and I shall never follow my own ways lest they lead me astray. Thy good pleasure shall be my happiness; Thy commandments shall be my only rule of conduct. Thy Will shall be my will, and Thy service shall be the object of all my desires.
Lord, grant me peace of mind because of my trust in Thy Providence, an unwavering and cheerful courage founded on my faith in Thy tremendous love, faithfulness to duty resulting from a constant awareness of Thy presence, and a firm hope of eternal reward.
Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I implore Thy blessing upon my family that we all may serve Thee faithfully in this life and deserve to be reunited in the eternal happiness of Thy heavenly Kingdom. Amen.
FOR HER CHILDREN
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Teach me patience and wisdom. Show me how to train my children to be worthy children of God. Let me be kind and loving, but keep me from foolish indulgence.
Pray to your son for my children, dear Mother. Keep them from all danger, especially from spiritual danger. Help them to become virtuous adults, but let them not forget the Kingdom of God.
Jesus of Bethlehem, make my children love each other and their home. Help them to work and pray together in holy peace.
Holy Family of Nazareth, be with us all, father, mother and children, every day of our lives. I humbly greet thee, faithful Guardian Angels of my children. I give thee heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. Someday I shall repay your care for them with thanks more worthy than I can now give, and before the whole heavenly court shall acknowledge their debt of gratitude to thy guidance and protection. Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray also for me, for my husband, and for my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in thy blessed company in Heaven. Amen.
Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of something that I read recently.....when I feel like I have done all that my human mind can configure and just frustrated and feeling helpless "Blessed are the poor in Spirit", I finally hear my Jesus saying "Leave them to me". "Give them to me, Kerry and I will take care of them.....you are just getting in the way sometimes" (with my many words and solutions). When I finally listened to His voice in my heart, it was like running to my daddy....weak and weary and just throwing myself into his arms, knowing that he has to be the one to fix it and he will fix it because he loves me so much!! I felt all of those feelings of relief that a child feels in the arms of her earthly father, but I was being held this time by my Heavenly Father! It was in His strong arms that I was finally consoled. I knew that I wanted to offer my family, along with myself to our Jesus for some reshaping in His Hands. I found these 2 amazing devotions for mothers and I recited them with such beautiful desperation and trust! My exhaustion and "depleted-ness" was such an intimate gift from my Jesus
FOR FIDELITY IN A MOTHER'S VOCATION
Dear God, give me the grace to appreciate the dignity of motherhood, which Thou hast been pleased to bestow upon me, and to fulfill its duties according to Thy Will. By my prayers and good example, may I lead my husband and my children closer to Thy Sacred Heart. Make me a devoted wife to my husband and a good mother to my children after the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Almighty God, I thank Thee for the blessed care and protection with which Thou hast embraced my family. I humbly submit to Thy decrees and resign myself to Thy Divine Providence. I grasp Thy guiding hand, and I shall never follow my own ways lest they lead me astray. Thy good pleasure shall be my happiness; Thy commandments shall be my only rule of conduct. Thy Will shall be my will, and Thy service shall be the object of all my desires.
Lord, grant me peace of mind because of my trust in Thy Providence, an unwavering and cheerful courage founded on my faith in Thy tremendous love, faithfulness to duty resulting from a constant awareness of Thy presence, and a firm hope of eternal reward.
Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I implore Thy blessing upon my family that we all may serve Thee faithfully in this life and deserve to be reunited in the eternal happiness of Thy heavenly Kingdom. Amen.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Teach me patience and wisdom. Show me how to train my children to be worthy children of God. Let me be kind and loving, but keep me from foolish indulgence.
Pray to your son for my children, dear Mother. Keep them from all danger, especially from spiritual danger. Help them to become virtuous adults, but let them not forget the Kingdom of God.
Jesus of Bethlehem, make my children love each other and their home. Help them to work and pray together in holy peace.
Holy Family of Nazareth, be with us all, father, mother and children, every day of our lives. I humbly greet thee, faithful Guardian Angels of my children. I give thee heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. Someday I shall repay your care for them with thanks more worthy than I can now give, and before the whole heavenly court shall acknowledge their debt of gratitude to thy guidance and protection. Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray also for me, for my husband, and for my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in thy blessed company in Heaven. Amen.
Right after saying these offerings, I fell asleep, feeling a great peace that it was all in His Hands now, and that my Father in Heaven would fix this for His daughter. You will not be surprised to find out that He did just as He promised He would. The next day was filled with peace and new found hope. Our family was still laughing and playing, but with a genuine love and happiness that was just missing from the day before. The tenseness in the air was cleared away and love between the children, Jeremy, and I was strongly present.
I must give Him praise and thanksgiving for this gift to my family! He can do ANYTHING, and He wants to do EVERYTHING. I will continue to offer these special prayers daily for the holiness of my family. Remember your Father in Heaven is standing there saying (in a parent's voice) "Please, let me just do it!!"
PRAISE YOU FATHER FOR LOVING YOUR CHILDREN SO MUCH
