Beyond Motherdome

One mom enters, three children follow. That's exactly how things work around here. I've been trying over the last few years to establish some kind of prayer routine. You know, actually spend some time in quiet and solitude with the Lord. It never fails. The moment I think everyone is occupied and I have a few minutes to sneak away and pray, someone needs something only I can provide. Some days it's all I can do to keep from yelling at the top of my lungs, "Give me a freaking break, already!!!"

I'm not one of those moms that needs "me" time. I actually enjoy being home and around the kids all day, every day. I just wish I could have even five minutes alone to pray. Honestly, I think God has known that my path to holiness must lie in the day to day love and care given to my family, and not in a deeply spiritual prayer life. I find it highly unlikely I've been called to be meditative or contemplative in the least. How could I be expected to with my wonderful, yet needy bunch of kids?

Last Saturday's Gospel reading really struck home in this area for me. It was the parable of the sower from Luke. The last line was what has resonated with me all week:

But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.

--Luke 8:15

Fruit is born through persevering. I may never have the spiritual prayer life I would like, at least not in my state of life at this point, but I need to persevere through all the interruptions and irritations in order to have any prayer life at all.