Quote of the day

"If your neighbor is not changed for the good because he knows you, you do not love him, you love yourself!"
- Mother Angelica (from the book Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality)

WOW! What an amazing quote!
Sitting in front of my bookshelf with tons of books that I have either finished, or started-and-stopped-and-started-and-stopped, I was drawn to this book that I have not read in a while. To me, it is a pick up book, read a small paragraph, meditate, then put book down. Mother Angelica just cracks me up- she has such a way about her and how she gets her point across.

This quote hit me hard. How many people do I know? How many actually change b/c of me? AND change for the GOOD?!?! Yikes.

Immediately I think of my children and I wonder if they are changing (yes) b/c they know me (yes). But are they changing for the good b/c they know me? Talk about a huge responsibility. My prideful self would say yes, but deep down after some thought...I wonder if I am loving them to the degree so that they will know the power of Jesus' love. I wonder if my sins -loss of patience and yelling have brought them to change for the good.

These children of mine really know me. They see me day in and day out b/c I homeschool them. They are with me 24-7. No one else sees me to this degree. They see my "happy go lucky, cheerful, patient, sweet, loving, kind, calm and in control in the chaos" type of Momma. But they also see my "mad, sad, yelling, blowing up at little things, my talking -talking -talking and not doing -doing -doing discipline" type of Momma. Which one do you think will bring my children to change to the good b/c they know me? Of course you know. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. But it does take quite a lot of perfect practice (as my hubby says) to get this Momma in order so that Jesus' awesome love and Heaven become a reality to them.

Lord, I give everything to You. Take me for who I am and mold me into the person You created me to be. I am weak, Lord. But take these weaknesses and change them. Make me see the beauty of suffering in my everyday trials. Remind me of Your power in my weakness and give me the courage to act the way that will make You known. Lord you have said "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." For all I do is for You. I beg You to pour Your graces upon this little servant of Yours so that I can become the woman You have created me to be. I have confidence in Your love to overcome all my imperfections and all my sins. Forgive me, Lord and help me to avoid anything that can lead me to sin. Amen.
God bless,
Mary