We are still here in NYC on our lovely medical trip. I use the word lovely loosely! There are many blessings about this particular trip, many. There are also many difficult things as you might imagine with 3 brain surgeries in 3 weeks.
Vocation. Being the Catholic Girl that I am, that word evokes many wonderful, serious, happy, deep, varied thoughts and emotions. It is a much used phrase in Catholic writing and teaching. The above copy and paste is from the dictionary. Then there is the religious definition of the word :
Vocation ~ (From Latin vocare: to call) The calling from God to follow a particular way of life.
This is what I am speaking of. My vocation of wife and mother. This vocation is so ingrained in me that not only is it what I am but who I am. It is everything I have always wanted and thankfully received from God in a grand way....you know....those 8 kids!!! If your going to do something, do it big! My vocation comes first. After my love of God this is what is most important to me.
We are on week four of this trip. Staying at Ronald McDonald House is a huge blessing in many ways but most important for me is that it allows me to continue my vocation as well as possible in a stressful, dis-combobulated time. Tonight it was my turn to be here at the house and for Ed to stay with Bobby at the hospital. I could tell last evening as I switched with him that the kids needed me with them because they needed the structure and discipline (in the positive sense of the word) that Mom provides. Ed is totally a Mr. Mom and always has been, but he is also Mr. Popular with the kids so routine and structure are not his strong points....they are not his vocation. I got our day started with an appointment for Steven then some grocery shopping. I made lunch, cleaned out the fridge, organized our room, attended to some medical emails then had Steven, only a week out of ICU, lay down for a nap. I lay down with him..... a nice part of the vocation. I am only 3 weeks out of my own brain surgery so a nap was just lovely.
We got up later, went downstairs and got to visit with folks, laugh, have some treats then think about dinner. My wonderful friend and awesome cook, Laurie decided we'd make pork chops for dinner together. She took on part of the meal, me the other. To have a big, hot, yummy dinner with homemade mashed potatoes, fried pork chops and her mouth watering gravy warmed me to my soul. To plan, cook, clean up, put my mental and emotional self at ease. It was work. Why would this relax me so? Because it is my vocation, my call from God to serve my family. It was so good for all of us and it made me once again appreciate my roll in this life for now. The only thing missing was the rest of our family, not only Daddy and Bobby but our older kids back home.
I believe vocation is a lost art, a lost spiritual gift. To be a good mother or wife, I must know why I would want this. I believe a woman only knows her job when she can see it in the context of vocation or calling. It's too difficult, too thankless at times, too nerve racking, and all those things naysayers want to say about motherhood. When I see my life as a wife and mother in light of a call from God to do something great, I can persevere. If it is just a human want then it can fade, languish, be replaced by something more fun, more me-oriented. Knowing it comes from God gives me a peace of mind that I can fall back on when I am feeling DONE. You know how that is, that statement I make so often...."I am DONE" with a wave of my crazy hand! I often say this to my husband after a harried day. What "done" actually means I have no clue, but it helps me just to say it!
I guess I just needed to define my job tonight. Things are so crazy and out of whack while we are here, this day's duties made me feel thankful and warmly appreciative of my job, my vocation, as a servant. YES, a servant....to God and my family. Service is a highly under rated quality in our modern times. I served today, and I am high as a kite. The kids are fed, have clean clothes, have had lots of my attention and conversation and are sleeping all cozy in their beds as I write. Bobby is cozy in his hospital bed with Daddy by his side. I took the time tonight too, to call my parents and connect, call and tell Ed "I love you" and watch "Hello, Dolly" with my boys. Even in hard times with three brain surgeries in three weeks, life is good.
~Blessings~
Lisa |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment