"8.42. How'd it get to be so late? Come, on, kids, we need to go right now! No, Kieran, get in on this side instead of climbing over!"
"Don't shout, Mummy."
How humbling when my four-year-old is reminding me not to shout. How much does that make me stop in my tracks and reevaluate what I'm doing? The above scenario happens all too often, and what's worse is that it's usually when we're on our way to Mass.
It's my own fault for not getting out of the house earlier (most of the time), and in my frustration at this fact, I lash out by shouting at my children to hurry up. This lands my in Confession more times than I care to admit. As humiliating as it can be for my own child to say "don't shout, Mummy", it is a great grace that God has given, to give me this reminder in the voice of a child. Yes, it's important to be on time to Mass, but I can't blame the children for my inability to get out of the house with time to spare. I pray that God continues to give me the grace I need, and that I will be open to receiving that grace.
Amen to that in my own life, as well.
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