Yesterday, as if he could see into my soul, the priest I see regularly for confession asked if I was happy. The question was oddly unrelated to my confession so I knew it was what I needed to be asked. I told him I wasn't, and I told him I felt like shit (got a laugh out of us both). Grumpy, snappy, impatient, spiritually lazy... you know. He suggested that maybe my Lenten mortification should be to get more rest, as backwards as that sounds. He said if this were a conversation between monks maybe the advice would be sleep less... push yourself further, mortify. "That may be the answer for the monastery," he said, "but it isn't for the housewife."
The one in the middle of the world, with actual people depending on them, lovingly present and kind and all.
So, I say this to you- don't be like me! Don't get a bucket full of wisdom and go home and dump it out. Even if it is for the Bach (although I realize the challenge I was up against...) and maybe rethink your own version of sacrifice. I am realizing that it's maybe more sacrificial for me to peel myself off of the couch at 9:30 and go to bed when I know I should than it is to rise early. A good morning starts the night before, right? Right!
I'm hoping to re-gung-ho myself this afternoon because this just will not do. Anybody feel me?
On a more glass half-full note, you know what IS making me happy? This.
Last week our wisteria bloomed and it's absolutely breathtaking, despite all my sniveling. I wish you could all smell it through the screen.
I have been trying to spend as much time as possible outside lately which is... not hard. More and more lately have I been finding myself totally overcome with gratitude for our home and it's insane natural beauty. At night with the window open, the smell of the flowers just pours into our room. I am finding new moments all the time to fall in love with this place.
Annnnnd I can't believe I wasted a post on being tired!! Lol. Gosh, what am I complaining about? OPEN WINDOW, SMELL FLOWERS, GO TO BED. Can someone come kick me in the ass?
Thanks for letting me hash out my trivial dilemmas, guys.
eyerolleyerolleyerolleyerolleyeroll
I totally relate! Why is it so hard to just go to bed already?? Thanks for the reminder:-)
ReplyDeleteHa. This must be a sign that I should go to bed on time. Last night I stayed up way to late. I blame The Crown..
ReplyDeleteThis is a great reminder. I feel like you wrote this for me.
ReplyDeleteI once had a priest in the confessional tell me I needed to go home and take a nap. I was pretty upset when I walked out of there, I mean, here I am trying to be saint and he tells me to take a nap. He was right.
ReplyDeleteOh man. I feel that!
DeleteI feel the "sleep vs. momentary pleasure" battle so hard. Getting home at 8p and hustling to eat dinner and do anything that needs to be done at home means that I stay up too late far too often, just trying to squeeze in a face-mask or a show or reading... Sometimes to the detriment of getting prayer in, too. And I know - KNOW - that more sleep is basically the answer to all of it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like it's the answer to everything!!! Sadly...
DeleteThis makes so much sense to me--thank you! Giving something up for Lent always seems so overwhelming as a mom of young children, but I can get on board with getting more sleep (if everyone else cooperates). It really is the answer to most things!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, what a wise priest. As I'm sitting here at 10:09pm *whoops* after falling asleep sitting up this morning, I'm taking his advise. I know what you mean, though. I've just been grumpy and snappy and can't seem to shake it off or snap out of it. I've been writing it off as "26 weeks pregnant, 4 kids 7 and under, husband works all.the.time..." blah blah blah, all valid, but not being honest with myself. I need to step away from the blogs/FB/kindle and SLEEP because otherwise, I'm a b. and a half and that's no fun for anyone, or saintly AT ALL.
ReplyDeleteHow does he always know what to say? Oh because he's going to be a saint in our lifetime #frpaulforprez ps I could smell your wisteria from megs house and whoa. Lucky
ReplyDeleteThe struggle is real! Esp when hubs likes to stay up late. One of my sacrifices is going to bed by 11 but I've only been mildly successful... :)
ReplyDeleteI needed to hear this. My husband has been telling me for 6+ months that I'm a better wife and mom when I'm well rested and I've taken care of myself (ie loving him doesn't necessarily mean being a martyr every day). Since then I've been taking naps with the baby and I'm a different person! Perhaps for Lent this year, the Lord really wants to spoil me?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
The time change makes this 100x harder, at least for me. Yes.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to do REAL relaxing more (a bath, a book, backgammon, sitting on the porch vs. reading things on the internet) plus going to bed already. The days I do this are so much better... yet the internet still calls, because it's so easy!
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI Read the article of a very great spell caster and it seems very helpful
to me. I haven’t had the chance to have a proper relationship with my ex
because we work together. This will be the final week or work and then I
wont be around him constantly. Unfortunately, I broke one of the rules in
the article and have been sleeping with him. Something I’m not proud of,
especially since he has a girlfriend. Not to mention that she’s a girl he
dated off and on for 3 years before he dated me.
When I asked him why he kept sleeping with me even though he was in a
relationship, his response was because I wanted it, and he wants me to be
happy. But obviously what would make me happy would be to have him all to
myself. That was when i read about Dr alexzander on how he help people in
saving their relationship and i was really desperate for his help. There
were things in our relationship that were tough. We traveled for 4 months
right in the beginning, and it was hard due to different expectations. When
we returned our living situation was unstable which caused a lot of stress
on my end. And when I ask why he didn’t give me a chance to make things
better he said he gave me tons of chances. Oh, and he compared our
relationship with his past. He says that things were great, and then they
went bad really fast, and that why his back with is Ex. Because it at least
took them years for things to get that bad. So i was very sad and
disappointing and decided to contact this spell caster for help with tears
running out of my eyes and Dr alexzander promised to make things right in
my relationship and also assured me that my boyfriend is going to come back
to me within 78hrs. At first i was shock and didn't believe him because i
thought it was impossible to do. But i gave it a try and trusted him. Dr
alexzander asked for my details and his, then guarantee me of his return.
Truly my ex lover started calling me and also begging me to forgive him and
that's his willing to give us a second chance, then promised me never to
love any other woman apart from me. it all seem like a miracle to me till
now. Dr alexzander. Words can't express how i feel right now. it been 2
month now since you caste that love spell for me and nothing have gone bad
between us. his now caring more than ever and also the loving kind of Man i
have ever wanted for myself in life. I thank you Dr alexzander for saving
my relationship. Indeed you are the best. I want to use this media to share
my testimony for the whole world to see and know that there is still hope
in your broken relationship, No matter how bad it seems don't give up hope
and also contact this man who saved my own. you can reach him through his
website address http://alexzanderhightemple-com.webs.com or contact him
direct with his email address alexzanderhightemple@gmail.com. I thank you
Dr alexzander for helping me and i will always share my testimony in every
social media or place i may go to.
(From United State Of America).
Mrs Tracy Grilli.
http://tracygrilli.blogspot.com.tr
https://tracygrilli59.blogspot.com