Greetings Parents!
Weeding with the boys this morning was a happy event for the outcome, but a bit of a workout getting there. They were not the most happy to get the job done, so I tried to remind them that life is not about perpetual enjoyment, but instead about working towards a goal.
It brought to mind our typical desire to "work for the weekend," or work for that moment when we can rest. We work in our younger days with retirement in mind, when many hope to cease working and simply enjoy "vacation" for the remainder of their days. This is not an evil thing, in fact God wishes us to be happy- we were created for the good, which includes happiness. The wrench in these works is that we gave up the perfect world to make choices not based in trust in God. Through Adam and Eve we yielded our perfect happiness for our own "wisdom." When comparing one human's wisdom to another, it is reasonable to consider that our own wisdom can be greater than the other's wisdom.
The difference with God is that He knows far more than we possibly could, so failing to trust Him is failing to trust our own Creator perfect and infinite love. There is a consequence to every action - and ours was to lose perpetual happiness, for a time. We can still find happiness here, in part by doing what would bring us joy before. Caring for creation and each other - these open our hearts to joy. In our present state, though, it is more uncomfortable and, at times, seemingly fruitless. We pull weeds and they return, sometimes withing the week! We teach our children, but they refuse to follow our directions when they are able to choose their own actions. Older parents claim that they return to respecting their parents' wisdom when they are 30.
Most difficult is when our children walk away from our faith. Their skepticism contrary to our beliefs is a failure for them to trust
those who love them most and who have greater experience and wisdom. They accept the wisdom of the world, of society - complete strangers to them - over the people who have cared for them based on values that they now reject. Becoming a parent made me reflect on my parents' values - and which ones I still held. We were blessed with great parents and a great childhood, their values played a large part of that.
Many were the times when I rebelled against what they wanted me to do (most often in my head, they were consistent on discipline and I wanted access to my friends!). I wasn't happy to pull weeds, but eventually grudgingly admitted appreciation for the resulting pretty garden. Over time, I came to appreciate the effort a little more and now truly enjoy weeding (unless they are exceedingly stubborn).
Although my parents shared it at the time, I didn't believe that I could enjoy the, but eventually I did. It was a gift, because eventually our lives are more work than play and its so valuable to be able to find -or make - joy in it. It can be from the fellowship, the interest in the work, the sense of accomplishment, and many other reasons. Most often in life we don't get to choose many of our tasks, they are required of us. Parents change smelly diapers, but enjoy the coo's and expressions. Gardeners bring order to chaos, helping beautiful or fruitful life to grow. But if my parents didn't push me into finding the joy of work, would I have come to enjoy it? If God had not allowed us to suffer the consequences of our lack of trust and come to appreciate what He gave us in life, would we ever have learned it on our own, or always been somewhat dissatisfied. We were created to be co-creators with God and stewards of creation. It is part of our human nature - and thus our human nature finds happiness when we fulfill its purpose.
Hug your children tight and teach them the rewards of all labors and how to find joy in the doing, not just in the "getting it over with" and in the "not doing."
-- Linda Bader, Coordinator of Religious Education
P.S. Did you know... Our guardian angel is with us throughout our lives to help lead us to heaven? They act to protect us from evil forces and inspire us to better thoughts and actions; however, if we will cause harm to others,
they might work against us
for the safety of the other person. All of this is done with total love and with God's respect for each person's free will. How difficult this must be! Remember to thank your Guardian Angel - and those of your loved ones - and pray for their continued guardianship!
