Autumn is providing glorious color in our region, and I have been pruning bushes in the garden. One rhododendron needed attention, and I trimmed it back dramatically. As I pruned, I discovered that the plant had new growth at its core beneath the overgrowth and withered branches. I trust it will flourish.
When our children were in elementary school, I think we often succumbed to the temptation to solve their problems quickly. We wanted to fix their confusion and anxiety.
Maybe sometimes, in our eagerness to be helpful, we missed the underlying issue. Would it have been better to begin by asking our child how they envisioned a possible solution?
So Much I Don’t Know
Humbling as it is, we don’t always have a quick answer. We are still learning. “I don’t know” might be a great answer. Or maybe, “Let me think about that for a while.” Or “I’ll ask someone I trust what they think.”
Another possibility, “I’ll pray on that.”
Anytime we ask our children, “How are you?” or “How are things going?” we invite them to reflect on their experience. I think reflection and prayer go hand in hand.
Time to Reflect
Reflection on what is happening around us, being aware of our thoughts and feelings helps us discover where God’s Spirit inclines us to go. We seek and find the places where God is active – occasions of grace. We search for the deeper purpose, the one grounded in His will.
The Point of Distractions
I believe the exercise of prayer is always, in some way, a pruning of the distractions and a centering on the core of what’s most important. Perhaps the distractions can help point the way. Our prayer helps us let go of hindrances and embrace the essentials – to find the growth.
I believe prayer involves an awareness of a growing relationship, the depth of which we cannot fully understand.
“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)
In our family prayer in this Rosary month, we might ponder how every Hail Mary is a reflection on the Annunciation. We meditate on how God’s Holy Spirit graces all humanity. Particularly, we may want to consider how our days are also graced in so many ways. Even in the face of life’s problems, the Lord encourages us to find His answer, His resolution, what will make us flourish – the way that brings us to greater love and grace.