A Word for the Lazy and Frustrated

My perfect day would begin when I wanted it to begin. I would be able to choose how to spend my waking hours. Sit when I felt like it. Sleep and eat as much as I wanted to sleep and eat. Have clothes in my closet that all fit well – without ever doing a bit of exercise. Nobody would call, unless it was to give me great news. When I sat down to write, the rough drafts would hit the paper as though they were final drafts, and I would already have publishers hoping for first rights to every manuscript. My husband would agree with everything I said. My children would seek my advice and follow it. And I would end the day happy, healthy, and confident that tomorrow would look pretty much the same.

I’ve never lived that day.

Not even close.

Everything takes work. Sometimes it takes hard work and relentless determination. Sometimes, I’m up to the challenge. Most of the time, I am not.

God is always up to the challenge.

St. Teresa of Avila said, "I often thought my constitution would never endure the work I had to do, (but) the Lord said to me: 'Daughter, obedience gives strength.'"

And so, I get up before I’m ready. I do more than I think I can do. I write with shaky confidence that anyone will read what I write. I offer up the conflicts that arise with those I love most, and I pray for those things that are not in my control – like my children’s lives.

When I go to bed, knowing that tomorrow will probably look a lot like today, I realize that St. Teresa of Avila had it right. There is enough strength, as long as I know where to go for my source of power.