The Gift of Self-Awareness

As she prayed her way through a family crisis, Elizabeth Estrada received an answer: a gift from the Holy Spirit.

The last two months have been very challenging for my family. As a single mom with a son with special needs, the end of the school year can be very overwhelming especially because I’m a teacher as well.

My son couldn’t finish out the school year due to an episode of depression and anxiety and I was leaning on God and Mother Mary to give me the grace and the strength to deal with the situation at hand. I needed their grace and help to manage the timing of my son’s episode as well as trying to finish out the school year.

Thankfully I was able to be supported by my principal, to be there for my son during an emergency room visit two days before I ended the school year. After getting home and letting my son rest, I felt so tired, overwhelmed, and sad that I just sat and cried.

It was hard to pray in my usual way; all I could do was ask the Lord and Mother Mary to give me strength to do their will and what was best for my son. Then, in this short moment of prayer, my old counselor came into my mind. I hadn’t seen her for almost a year.

I decided to reach out to her that same day; after a few days she was able to fit me in to her busy schedule. I knew that this was a gift from the Holy Spirit! The Lord knew that I needed more support and needed to take care of myself before I could be fully present for my son.

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Many saints thought that self-awareness was the key to getting closer to the Lord as well as being able to heal or detach from things that would keep us away from Him. #catholicmom

Many saints, including St. Teresa of Ávila, thought that self-awareness was the key to getting closer to the Lord as well as being able to heal or detach from things that would keep us away from Him.

I am thankful not to think that reaching out to a counselor, a doctor, or a friend is a weakness. Instead, it is a gift from God to be there for those that need us most.

Is there something that you think the Holy Spirit is guiding you toward today?

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