Photo by Ben White (2018) via Unsplash.com, CC0 Public Domain[/caption]
Worry used to be my middle name. I went through life terribly anxious about school, then work, then family concerns. No matter how much my mother tried to calm me down, I continually swam in a sea of worry.
Then a family trauma rocked my world. The shock was so significant I knew I could not revert to my old worry-wart ways. I had to do something different — for my family’s sake, for my own sake, and for the sake of my motherhood.
I developed a plan to cope with the trauma — a plan which I have found has helped other women who are encountering heavy crosses in their lives. Call it “A Spiritual Action Plan.”
Step One: I placed my beloved family in God’s hands. I know that my Father in heaven is the ultimate parent who cares tenderly for all of his children. I relied on the comfort of daily prayer to deal with the day-to-day uncertainty that characterized my world.
Step Two: I walked with Jesus through the valley of pain. I was grieving the fact that a heavy cross had befallen my family. This resulted in an emotional pain that was at times unspeakable. In order to cope, I relied on the steady hand of Jesus to pull me through.
Step Three: I prayed for my family’s intentions. Part of my particular cross was the emotional pain my only daughter was experiencing. I decided to pray each day at 3 PM, the Hour of Mercy, for all of her intentions. This gave me a degree of comfort and peace I had never experienced before.
Step Four: I relied on the strength of my prayer group. My Cursillo prayer group was of great value in praying for my daughter and me. They also provided words of sweet comfort when all seemed lost.
Following this formula, miraculously, I have managed to survive and even thrive in the midst of family trauma. I long for the day when our healing will be complete. In the meantime, I wait with expectation for the miracles that God will deliver to our lives.
Copyright 2018 Maria V. Gallagher
About the Author
.png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)"){kind=logo}
Comments