Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations!  (Psalm 96:9)

I am almost positive that there haven’t been many times when I’ve felt like proclaiming the marvelous deeds of God, and I fully recognize that this is due to my own brokenness. This mothering journey of mine has been pock-marked with moments of despair and overwhelm. In those moments, the last thing I think of doing is proclaiming God’s marvelous deeds. I mostly think of proclaiming his complete and utter overestimation of my abilities as a mother or just a human being in general. I have a hard time with trust and surrender. Sound familiar?

Being a mom is not for the faint of heart. Being a Catholic mom isn’t either. And being an open-to-life Catholic mom is bordering on insanity at times. It’s crazy when the kiddos are tiny and needy. And it’s heartbreaking when they are older and don’t realize how much they are still in need, no matter how many times they tell you that it’s their life and we moms don’t know anything. If you know, you know. (grin- and also- sigh)

Our little family has experienced some mountains and valleys of late, and it seems as if the terrain is ever-changing. Just as we summit one mountain, another challenge presents itself, and we are off again, trudging along this hard path of faithfulness and gritty love. We seasoned moms know the routine. We praise, love, hug and then correct, admonish, repair – all on repeat, all day long.

I look at my newly-engaged daughter and newly-engaged son, and I dig deep. They have no idea what they’re stepping into. The beauty and pain, the joy and sorrow. Life will throw them some unbelievable curveballs. They will disappoint their spouses, their spouses will infuriate them. There will be times when sadness will be all-consuming and others when joy fills them to the brim. Are they ready for this?

They will find themselves in situations that will fill them with despair. They may even wonder if they’ve made a mistake in their vocation. They may wonder if God has abandoned them as their strength and courage falter and the world screams fear into their hearts. The wine of their wedding day will sour; that we can guarantee. And then the hard work begins. How to prepare them for that?

We shout it from the rooftops. All of those marvelous deeds of our ever-loving God and Father. We seasoned moms need to make a habit of consistently pointing to the good and merciful will of him who created us. We look for the gift everywhere, at every moment, in every unbearable situation. It’s there. We may have to root through the rubble, get on our knees, burrow into the mud and the muck, but it will be there, hidden and perfectly chosen for us, our very own gift. And we bring it forth, wipe off the dust, and array it in the ribbons of our sacrificial love. 

And always, we cling to our Blessed Mother. She was born of a woman, married to a man, and bore a son, the son of God. What an enormous responsibility! She knows the weight of our hearts. She carries the same worries, the same woe, the same hope, and the same joy. She stepped in and stepped up. Her fiat echoes in our own. Her constant love and care of this Holy Family is our aspiration. We follow in her footsteps and ask for her grace. She showers us with hope and joy and peace, and that water of pain and grief will become the wine of heavenly comfort.