Challenge and change

One method of personal prayer, and a widely taught approach, has the pray-er reflecting on the events of the day looking for light and shadows and sources of joy and sorrow.  As I've tried to incorporate this element in my daily prayer, it has become clear to me that the discomfort or anxiety that I feel about various events or patterns in my life should lead me to pray about the source with an eye to possible changes I need to make or encourage.  Not exactly rocket science but easy to forget.

There's someone in my life that I think is persistently dis-content.  And has cause because of the demands in life that he/she has responded to that have limited their time/energy/money to do anything that they would like to do for fun or fulfillment or even for others goods.  The problem is that it seems to flow from compulsion combined with obligation and without an ability to say "no" except when all resources have been completely drained.  And this all makes them rather cranky, irritable and somewhat distant.  There is a perpetual resignation in the air.  It seems to me that their "generosity" in the end is limiting their LOVE - and they should probably pray about limits.  But I'm not the one to tell them....

Laugh like a maniac

Out there in blogland Betty Duffy has been ruminating on the brevity of parenting small children.  Her desire to keep her kids safe from the dangers "out there" has to resonate with every parent.  Thinking on her post led to some discussion with her in the comments box about what a parent can do to pass on the faith and to keep our children safe.  Sooner or later, we must entrust "our" children to God and let them go.  The question of exactly when we start to let go has to be on a case by case basis...and in the end, we can only do the best we can, pray like crazy and laugh like a maniac.