After the trial of your faith

October has been a little rough. Sometimes in life we are granted the ability to pace the demands in our life. We can space them out and focus on one important thing at a time. Unfortunately, all too often, we seem to be juggling several important things at once. And it can be stressful to keep all those balls in the air. Even worse, we can get so focused on the act of keeping them all carefully aloft that we get short-tempered with those around us and just plain irrational.

Earlier this week I was feeling the weight of many burdens and responsibilities. I could itemize them for you, but I think the purpose of this musing is really to show that the details aren't the principal problem.

What is important is that I was overwhelmed and no matter how I looked at it, I just couldn't see a way out from under all the needs pressing down on me.

In a moment of desperation I prayed for a miracle. I knew, at that moment, what I needed was a calm countenance and a trusting heart. But, given where I was starting from, that would be a miracle.

So, after a long heartfelt prayer, I went to work emptying my brain of all the tasks flitting around. With the help of a friend I was able to see that my priorities were clear. My kids needed to come first. And, as soon as that thought solidified in my brain, I felt a little relief and a clear sense of purpose.

So, I tabled all of my other concerns and focused on my kids. I lived in the moment. I laughed with them. I helped them with their projects while listening to their ideas and rambling thoughts. I didn't hurry them and I gave them the best of my energy.

And I was blessed for it.

Everything else fell into place.