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Marriage, Children, Disabilities and Lent

Every year we plan different books, readings and prayers for our Lent. Lent is never what we plan. So this year I decided to truly surrender to God’s plan for our marriage, children and disabilities. Now the disabilities part, you think I’m referring to Kate, but I’m actually referring to all of us.Fear can be a true disability. Completely trusting in God is not easy, especially if your other disability is micromanaging!

Kate has a compromised immune system. Kate needs to see an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist. She is having some swallowing issues. This is where my disability kicks in. Kate is six and for all of her life, I have been trying to treat ailments with more vitamins, essential oils and pro-biotic. God is so good that we have the blessing of seeking medical care. As I got older, I changed immensely on what the medical field can do for her. Trying not to have Kate to the Doctors at every ailment. Many times leaving the Doctors office with a new ailment picked up in the waiting/exam rooms.

This past week, one of Kate's friends, Samuel passed away. Samuel was seven years old. He was in a wheelchair and he was full of sunshine! He fist bumped and high fived everyone. Like Kate, he was non-verbal. I can't imagine. I don't want to even think about losing any of our children. Why do these things happen? How, as a parent, do we continue on after a miscarriage of our baby, a death of a child, spouse, parent etc.? I think you Trust. The pain is what we have to endure and we cannot carry this alone. We will miss them in this world and see them in the next. Time drags here and then we will be infinitely in Heaven. Unless, like me, you have a stop in purgatory for micromanaging and a few other things. I trust that God has Samuel and he is running, jumping and talking! Needless to say, I'm sure he is still fist bumping and high fiving!

This Lent as we travel in our readings, following the Journey of the Cross, we will see the love Jesus has for all of us and the sacrifice He made. Our Blessed Mother Mary willingly saying yes and completely trusting in God the Father. When we question a tragedy, we need to look no further than Mary at the foot of her son Jesus on the Cross.

My favorite Saint, St. Padre Pio says, "Pray, hope and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer." Another from Padre is "The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain."





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