Grace of Faith (Day 19)

Today’s word of the day was going to be faith.  As days pass, the more I realize just how heavily I rely on my faith.  My faith sustains me – it keeps my anxiety at bay, allows me to focus on the present and my vocation as a wife and mother, and it gives me hope for a better world.  Believing there is a purpose to my life, and to the lives of my children, helps me get through the hills and valleys of my life.

My word today is:

Prayer. 

The more I tried to draft a post on faith, the less words I found coming to me.  However, the more I thought about my faith, the more I realized just how central to my faith is my life of prayer.

Catholics get falsely accused by other religious denominations of relying solely on rote memorization of prayers.  This cannot be further from the truth!  Nestled deeply in the center of a life of faith is prayer – memorized prayer [the “Our Father,” the “Hail Mary,” the “Glory Be” (also known as the Doxology in some circles), etc.] have their time and place.  Other forms of prayer, such as songs (of praise, worship, supplication), and off-the-cuff prayers are also vital to prayer life.

The other night, driving to the hospital, it looked to everyone else in the car that I was scrolling through Facebook and social media.  What nobody else knew was how I was praying – for my daughter, for our family, for me.

I was also praying that, no matter what, I would have the strength, courage, and openness of heart and spirit to accept God’s will.

It might sound drastic for something so minor as a viral infection.  And, if my prayer were just about that one incident, then I would agree.

But, my prayer was also about so much more.

I was also praying for the strength, courage, and openness of heart and spirit for all the other parents in the world – the ones I know, and more importantly, the ones I don’t know.

Most importantly, I was praying for the ones who don’t know God, His love, His Mercy, and His desire to have us freely choose His will over ours.

I was praying for the families facing obstacles that would test even the most faithful of His flock – those facing unemployment or illness.  Those facing despair and hopelessness.

It is purely by God’s grace that I have been blessed to have such a deep faith.  Through His grace, I have been open to a relationship with Him.

I have sought that grace through prayer.  

While my faith is paramount to my vocation as a wife and mother, I wouldn’t be nearly as successful in my faith life, if I didn’t have my prayer life.

And, that is how the word of the day changed from faith to prayer.

My prayers aren’t always answered in the way I want, and sometimes the prayers are simply for my sanity.

But, my prayers keep me going, and give me the faith to live my vocation to its fullest.  

I am going to link up today’s post with the fabulous author of Revolution of Love .  Check out her page to see what some other fantastic writers are up to this week of the challenge!