God’s Will Be Done

Carol Sbordon Bannon considers the importance of doing God’s will with a grateful heart. 

Have you ever played the Martha card, thinking to yourself, “This is never going to end”?

The Martha card is the one that quietly insists, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” And if you think that instinct fades once the children leave home — think again. Somehow it becomes fused into our souls the moment we become mothers.

How many of us straighten the beds after our children — or our husbands — make them? How many of us reload the dishwasher to fit in just a few more plates? Without even realizing it, I find myself rearranging the silverware tray so the little forks and big forks sit neatly in their separate compartments. Towels are another story. Bath towels, kitchen towels — it doesn’t matter. No one seems to hang them correctly in the Bannon home. I am constantly rehanging, refolding, and readjusting.

And if I am honest, the hardest part isn’t the work itself. It’s the silence. Sometimes we feel a small sting when no one notices. We tell ourselves we don’t need recognition — but a simple “thank you” can mean so much. Often, that small acknowledgment is all we really need.

And then Lent happened.

My Lenten Resolution

One of the “improvements” I felt called to work on was slowing down enough to appreciate more fully all the blessings God has given me. I didn’t exactly choose this improvement. I had been praying before the Tabernacle one afternoon when a very clear voice in my head said, “Slow down!” It was not dramatic, but it was unmistakable. And I have learned not to ignore anything that comes to me in His presence.

Slowing down, however, is easier said than done — especially when family members are ill and life feels anything but calm. Still, I tried. I began setting aside a small portion of each day to turn off the noise. And I refused to turn to the Kindle, phone, or laptop: My squirrel brain can’t handle the pop-ups and distractions. Instead, I reached for hardcover spiritual books and Christian magazines. Paper pages. Quiet margins. Space to breathe.

In one of those books, I came across a letter written from a father to his child. It said, “I have given you blessing upon blessing, and you should be thankful. That is my will for you … to be thankful.”

And something began to shift.

Later that same day, I opened my Bible and turned to 1 Thessalonians 5:18:

In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

In All Circumstances Give Thanks

I realized something uncomfortable. I sometimes feel hurt when no one thanks me, when I feel taken for granted. Yet how often do I take God for granted? How often do I thank Him—not just when things go well, but no matter what? It is so easy to notice the splinter in someone else’s eye; it’s harder to see our own.

Each morning, I begin the day by praying the prayer for Blessed Solanus Casey’s canonization, which begins:

O God, I adore You. I give myself to You. May I be the person You want me to be, and May Your will be done in my life today.

His will is for us to be thankful — no matter what. Nothing more complicated than that. I have been blessed beyond imagination my whole life. God does not need platitudes from me. He wants my thanks.

Now, when I pray the Our Father and come to the words, “Thy will be done,” I pause for just a moment and whisper, “Thank You, Lord.” I am trying to teach my family to do the same. No matter what tomorrow holds, today choose gratitude.

God’s mercy is endless. Unlike me, His patience never runs out and comes without strings attached.

So perhaps the Martha card isn’t about doing everything perfectly. Perhaps it is about remembering why we do what we do — and offering it back with a grateful heart.

Thank you, God, for everything.

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Copyright 2026 Carol Sbordon Bannon
Images: (top, center) Canva; (bottom) copyright 2026 Carol Sbordon Bannon, all rights reserved.