One of the many perks of homeschooling is the ability to extend summer break. While many are enduring the back to school rush and deliberating how to coordinate morning drop offs, my family is enjoying Lake Michigan and daily ice cream at our favorite B&B up north. While I realize all good things come to an end (as do all bad things), for now we are going to enjoy what God has granted us.
As all parents of young children can attest to, even the best of times often do not come off without a hitch. In the scramble to pack and leave, a child’s favorite stuffed animal could be left behind, causing them to whine half the way there. During the drive, an argument could arise over which video to watch and another child will pout the rest of the way there. As you arrive at your destination and unpack your belongings, your cooler could tip over and spill ice all over the floor. As you settle down for your first night away, yet another child may complain that it’s too hot or too cold or they’re too excited to sleep, and it keeps everyone else up too.
I specifically remember one year, frantically running to the gas station at 9:00pm because it was still light out and there were no curtains on the windows. At this point I was completely exhausted and it was way past the kids’ normal bedtime, so they were ornery. I was desperate for a solution. I asked the clerk for black trash bags to tape up on the windows, since I didn’t happen to bring darkening curtains on vacation with me. There were none on the shelves. Noticing my desperation, he replied, “I think I have some in my truck though, let me go check.” I couldn’t believe his kindness. With two sleep-saving bags and one roll of duct tape in hand, I returned to the B&B to get some much needed shut eye.
At times like these, it may seem difficult, or even contradictory, to give thanks to the Lord. Afterall, we are getting away for a time of fun and relaxation and everything seems to be falling apart. But as we awaken the next morning, we see how our children enjoy all the delicious breakfast foods that are served, how they laugh as they throw a football or kick a soccer ball in the yard, and how they enjoy catching minnows in a net at the beach that afternoon. Your heart swells as their favorite ice cream flavor drips down their chins and a healthy tan begins to appear on their young faces.
Life is full of so many ebbs and flows, isn’t it? So why not praise Him through it all? Today’s Psalm declares: “Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name…For great is the LORD and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods.” So let us praise our God in good times and in bad, whether we are on vacation or heading back to school, whether we are happy or sad, for He is good indeed.
Daily Reading
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Dt 4:1-2, 6-8 Moses said to the people:“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decreeswhich I am teaching you to observe,that you may live, and may enter in and…
Saint of the Day
Saint Anna the Prophetess
Saint Anna the Prophetess recognized Jesus’s significance when many overlooked Him. She stood by Mary, embodying grace, guiding her during formative years.
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