Hard To Believe

Because I caved to peer & spouse pressure, the monsters are enrolled in CCD this year. And because I feel that if you are going to be "in" you need to do it with both feet, we follow Saturday CCD classes with weekly mass. Yes, I know how many times I have questioned and bashed organized religion, but I do believe that some religious education is good and will help open the monsters mind to the concept; once they are old enough I will hope and encourage them to follow what they believe and keep looking until they find it. For now, we are back at in the Catholic Church, mainly because that is what I was raised and therefore what I know and am comfortable with.

Anyway, on to my story. Yesterday at mass, I had a "moment" where the words from Father Bob's sermon spoke to me. His sermon was about how the catholic church is not keeping-up and changing with the times, but that was not what got me. What got me was a question that Father Bob asked, one that he had been asked at a Friars conference a week earlier, the question "Do you find joy in what you do?". He went on to explain the question in more depth explaining that "joy" did not mean everyday was good, but ultimately through good and bad, is their joy in what you do? That question really struck something in me and as he spoke I asked myself, "Do you joy in what you do?" and without question, I answered "yes". Yes, I do find joy as a wife and mother. And yes, there are good times and bad, but never do I regret the path my life has taken.

Now, I know that the intention of the question was to ask ourselves to evaluate our Catholicism, but I am still questioning that:) Nevertheless, I took that question and answered it and it gave me peace and clarity. Reminding me that "joy" is so much bigger than a single moment of good or bad, it is a collection of moments and how you see them and what you do with them that makes it.

I have joy in my life, thanks to great friends, a wonderful family and three monsters & a husband who share it with me.