Seton Magazine Catholic Homeschool Articles, Advice & Resources
by Emily Molitor
Our days are eternal.
Yes, you and I will live forever in heaven, but have we ever reflected upon the fact that not only are our heavenly days eternal, but that the moments we are living here and now will live forever in the mind of God, and therefore live on in eternity? “Our days pass quickly and are over like a sigh” reads the Psalms.
Yet, not so fast. Do my actions truly pass away? Or am I called to give an account for them before the throne of God? Often I find it easier to forget the days past, to look only to the future. I don’t think God wants me to live in the past, but instead, He frees me from my guilt and calls me to continual reconciliation.
What I often forget, sometimes conveniently, is that my actions nevertheless remain eternal in the mind of God. The love which I pour out in my daily duties is a love that lasts – something eternal which will either bring sorrow or consolation to the heart of Jesus throughout time and eternity.
A Satisfying Road?
What a thought, that my actions today have more of a more lasting meaning than I can fathom. That each day, each sacrifice, builds one upon another, and forms a path to heaven. Sometimes I am tempted to believe that the endless repetition of days, each following in similar succession, only serve to cover and erase the previous ones. I forget the beautiful truth that my daily walk of life can instead define a path to God, a road which I can look back upon with satisfaction.
Perhaps the path that I now cultivate may one day guide another wandering soul to God. Perhaps the thorns which I attempt to clear along the road will make the traveling smoother for those who come behind me. Most importantly, I think of my children and the road which they will walk. Are my actions in traveling the road ahead of them, or even alongside of them, leading them on a straight and narrow way? Will they look ahead to my guiding figure, or will they struggle to know which turns to make?
Ultimately, I can never find my way alone. The generations before me, following the Church throughout the ages, with Christ and His disciples leading the way, serve as my compass. Thank goodness for the shining example of the saints, and for the living saints in our midst, who exhibit daily a testimony to love.
How often do I thank those around me for their positive example, which inspires and calls me on to stay the course, and to finish the race?
Do I reflect upon their examples and consider how to serve as an inspiration to others in my own actions?
Intending the End
The Church needs us, and our families need us, to live with an eternal mindset. It is essential for my good, and for the salvation of the souls whom God has placed in my care, to remember this truth: that my actions on earth will echo forever in heaven; that the love and energy which I pour into my prayers, sacrifices, and growth in virtue will glorify God forever. Not one of my days will be covered up, or wiped away, but will be manifested as a triumph of God’s mercy and forgiveness in my life.
Living with the end in mind, directing my life through the order of intention to the end, gives purpose and meaning to all that I do.
Only here do we find meaning to the monotony of life, and continual inspiration to keep walking the straight and narrow. Only by focusing on the goal, do we “run so as to win the race”.
I want to find meaning in all that I do, but is it possible that the meaning of tiresome and laborious tasks could perhaps be the very fact that it is meant to bring me to my knees and to an encounter with Christ? Am I really supposed to find God in the pots and pans every day? Perhaps finding Him there could mean that I may feel frustrated by the drudgery, and come to “find God” by reaching out to Him in my desire for more.
I don’t want deceive my daughter into expecting all of life as a wife and mother to be a direct experience of contemplation, from laundry to diapers. Rather, I want to teach her that even the trials and simple tasks have meaning, if they are done with love, because love is eternal and always leads us to Christ. Then contemplation may indeed be found amongst the tasks, insofar as I can live that moment as a heartfelt gift to God.
Some of the toughest trials of our days may be what bring us to our knees with a humble heart.
Can we then say that we have found God? Have we found an eternal meaning amidst the pots and pans?
You might also like to read God is Moving Among the Pots and Pans!