Setting Aside the Excuses to Spend Time with God

It's been a while since I just sat and wrote here on the blog.

I can come up with all kinds of good excuses. But the truth is that I've been praying about what's in my heart and where I am in my journey as a writer. Life has been busy and joy-filled enough that I've pushed any tiny "Where is my blog voice?" or even "WHAT is my blog voice?" doubts to the back of my mind in a rush of travel, appointments, and the countless tiny tasks that fill each day.

But those whispered doubts came to the front of my mind today during morning prayer. Ironically, they were brought up again by today's gospel, Luke 14:15-24. If you haven't read it yet, set this aside and spend the few spare moments you have today reading that instead. It'll be a far better use of your time.

In that gospel passage, a man planned a great dinner and invited many. But when the big night came and he dispatched his servant to usher in the guests, the excuses began to pour in: "I'm too busy with work" or "I have to check out the big purchase I just made" or--my personal favorite--"I have just married a woman".

Somehow, it cracked me up to know that even in Christ's time, people were making excuses for their busyness. And that "blame my wife" was considered one of them!

Blogging is not prayer, but for me, my personal writing has always been a way to connect with the Divine. It has anchored me, helped me to work out spiritual "issues", and offered me a way to share my faith with others. While I've preferred in the last few years to let CatholicMom.com be a place where the writing of others can shine, I've neglected of late to use these pages to sing my own love songs to the Creator.

So for a few minutes this morning, I'm forgetting about the many other things I should be doing and simply sitting, keyboard in hand, and letting the words flow. And it feels good. It feels right.

I challenge you today to ask yourself what excuses you've been making and what they've kept you from doing. Has your busyness kept you from spending time in silent prayer? Has the frenetic pace of your schedule kept your heart from turning to God--even if only for a few desperate moments--and crying audibly, "Help me!"? Have you missed Mass, the greatest "banquet" of them all, because of your hesitations to inconvenience others?

Christ reminds us in today's gospel “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.” What can you do today that will lead you closer to that Kingdom?

Now turn off the phone, set down the computer, and go do that.