Blessings in Disguise

St. Peter Julian Eymard

"Why do You treat your servant so badly?" Moses asked the LORD. Numbers 11:11

Moses is starting to feel the pressure. He has done everything the Lord commanded and is now watching his people suffer. They have been eating manna, for I don't know how long, and they long for melon and onion and cucumbers.... Moses is so desperate for a solution to this problem, that he tells the Lord to take his life because he can't bear to watch it anymore.

Moses was asked to do a lot for our Lord. And he did what was asked and wanted some relief. We all feel like that at times. We have a lot of responsibilities as adults, as moms and dads, as sons and daughters, as brothers and sisters. We all have a different role to play. Sometimes I wish someone else could play my role. There are days when my husband has to work long hours, or even go away for the week, and it's so easy to get into the pity way of thinking. "This stinks. Why is it always my responsibility to take care of our kids?" "Why can't he get a different job?" "I wish this was different." And I know my husband doesn't want to be away from us so much, but that's his job. If it wasn't for his job, we wouldn't have what we have and I wouldn't be able to be here with our children to take care of them.

But really, when I look at the big picture, my life isn't so bad. We have a good home, food on the table, healthy, happy children.... God obviously trusts me with our children for long periods of time. And God obviously wants my husband to be able to take care of us. It's a good partnership. We end up helping each other with our household. If I were really doing this alone, I would not only be trying to take care of the kids, but also work to support all of us. That is a responsibility I'm not so sure I could handle.

So when those feelings of pity want to take over my mind, I look to God in prayer and thank Him for what He has blessed my family and me with. That helps to push the devil out of my mind so I can be a good mom and a good wife, the way God intended.

God, thank you so much for all the blessings in my life. Thank you for always being there to help me through those negative thoughts and feelings.

Daily Readings:
Numbers 11:4-15 Psalm 81:12-17 Matthew 14:13-21