Greetings Parents,
As summer break approaches, the boys are planning their activities. They all seek jobs - a noble ideal, although at 11, my youngest will have a hard search. Sharing a paper route, however, does help. They look forward to Grandpa's pool as well, as do I. Sometimes it is like New Year's Resolutions. Whenever the routine changes, that is a reason to change the rules and allow more video game time, right?! They have no idea how much their pushing and nagging encourages me to become more restrictive of their playing time. Or maybe they do, but being children, they keep pushing because that is their nature.
This is a tricky thing when it comes to God. We are supposed to be like the widow who nagged the judge - God wants us to keep asking for things. perhaps like with my children, the "good" nagging is for good things. "Mom, we need to collect for the paper today." "Mom, you said you would help with homework." Then there is the bad nagging, "Mom, can I have it, can I, can I, please, please, please, PLEASE!?"
Praying for that which would be line with God's Will, that would be good nagging. Praying for a conversion of heart, healing of an illness, assistance in discerning an action, world peace, an end to hunger - these are good nagging options. In daily life, it is easy to get caught pleading for minor things with more fervor than with greater things.
Sitting at a soccer game and asking for him to have help throughout - this is not necessarily a bad thing, but am I putting anywhere near that time into praying for the more impactful changes in his life? Do I pray that he will retain his faith or live a good moral life? Do I pray with such fervor that I will make the right choices to help him properly? Do I pray for the people who have nothing physically, emotionally, or spiritually who could really use prayer assistance?
I think the busyness of our lives causes our prayer focus to be like our driving focus. When the road is mostly free of cars and wide, I look around more at the places we pass and at the passengers with whom I'm conversing. When traffic is busy, there is no focus except on the road ahead and being attentive to peripheral vision clues that danger is imminent. There is no time to think outside of the current "crisis." It's a challenge, but one people overcome in various ways. Some are able to take an hour or more out of their day to have quiet, reflective time. Others use the inconveniences of life to prompt them into prayer, perhaps the annoying people who catch our attention because they inconvenience. We could make a point to pray for greater patience, for awareness that we not annoy others in that fashion, or for that person because perhaps God placed him or her in our path today because they need to benefit from the grace our prayer will bring.
Hug your children tight, greet their guardian angel, and tell them to ask God to become their best friend . May God bless you and your family abundantly!
- Linda Bader, CRE, St. Thomas More