A Mother’s Seven Miles…..

 

I woke up this morning to fix hubby’s breakfast at 6am.  My first thought was…why does he have to eat sausage, eggs and toast every morning…I want to go back to sleep.(was up till 2am playing catchup on my housework, lesson plans and peeking at blogs for inspiration)  I let out a sigh and MADE myself get out of bed, grumbling on the way to the kitchen. I made his breakfast and packed his lunch and ran around like a crazy fetching stuff to help him get out the door on time. (we forgot to get gas last night, so his commute time will be shortened because he will have to get gas.) I grumbled some more….then he was finally off.  I packed away the extra eggs and sausage to re-heat for the kids when they wake.  My first thought was finally…peace, I am going back to bed.  Then I looked at the dinner dishes from last night that were calling to me.  So, I started to begin dishes while I watched EWTN.  The Gospel reading was about the road to Emmaus, one of my favorites.  So, I left my nagging dishes and sat, watched and listened. 

It hit me how I am so blind in my walk with our Lord.  They had a long seven mile walk with him and didn’t recognize him.  They were complaining to him.  They were shocked that their chief priests turned Jesus over and had him crucified.  Then they said “they were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel”  Then talked to him about the women who reported they went to the tomb and didn’t see his body and saw angels that said he was alive. But they had gone to the tomb and found things just as the women said, but him they did not see.  Then Jesus was telling them how foolish they were, did they not believe what all the prophets spoke, and was it not necessary for Christ to suffer these things to enter his glory?  Then they got to Emmaus and asked Jesus to stay with them. He stayed, then Jesus gave the blessing and broke bread giving it to them. That was when they finally realized that it was Jesus. Then Jesus vanished from them! They ran back to tell the eleven and said that they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

This really hit me hard!  Do I recognize my Lord with me on my long walks through the day? Do I see how when I serve my family…that I am serving him.  Would I grumble…if JESUS asked me to fix him sausage and eggs?  How about when I want to go back to sleep?  Would I grumble to myself when I had to get out of bed to serve him?  Or when I try not to wake the kids cause I just want them to sleep a bit more so I can steal some peace?  This is my 7 mile walk with the Lord….and I too don’t see him!  I too am complaining that I just want some peace sometimes, so I can sit, pray and “see” him. I too find myself not “seeing” him until the breaking of the bread. The redeeming gift he gives me when he consumes my soul the moment he is placed on my tongue at Holy Communion…..marveling…I think to myself…ahhh… how good it is to be with my Lord, finally…. Peace. Then when I hit the pew, there is my toddler shuffling hymnals, licking her shoes…(ick!!) and my 9 yr old giggling aloud at that sight. I give them both that mother’s glare with stern eyes…and then, it begins again.  The longing for that brief moment of peace, when he is with me.

I can “see” today, that he is always with me.  I am serving him when I grumble to get out of bed, when I run around like a crazy fetching things, when I scold giggling and licking  children in church.  He is there, that is my road to Emmaus with my blinders on.  God reaches out to be with me through my children, husband…all my duties. After all If I hadn’t listened to the dishes calling me and went back to bed… to steal a moment of peace, I wouldn’t have heard the Gospel today, reminding me that I can sometimes have my blinders on. Did God call out to me through dishes?….hhhmmmm  I need to take my blinders off and hear and see God in my daily duties as a mother.  I don’t have to feel him, I don’t have to see him. I just have to know he is there, always there in little ways, in my little life, on my little 7 mile walk to Emmaus.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings…I am off to wake the children and steal some kisses and finish those dishes!