My days are fairly routine.
Somedays I feel like I spend more time wiping pee off of the back of a toilet seat than watching what goes in it from the boys. We wake up – eat breakfast – take Brody to school – run errands – pick up Brody – go home and the rest of the day is always up in the air. 7:00 is the usual bedtime for the kids during the weekdays, and the weekends we tend to go with the flow depending on what we are up too.
Before bed at night we give our hugs and kisses to each other – Owen has a particular song he likes me to sing to him and we drift off into snoozeland. As sweet as our bedtime routine can be (trust me we have our nights where they are anything but sweet) I would like to have prayer be a bigger part of our night with the kids.
Raised Catholic, went to Catholic school K-8th grade, the whole shabang. My parents divorced when I was going into high school – and somewhere between switching schools and adjusting to a new way of life, church went on the back burner. I have to be honest, even with going to school in an environment where you are taught + surrounded by your faith, I do not think I ever really 100% felt the connection.
Fast forward to now, and both of our boys have yet to be baptised. Dan grew up the same way as I – and in high school going to church went on the back burner as well. We’ve been talking more and more about wanting to get the boys baptised soon.
I want them to pray with purpose, and have prayer to turn to in tough times.
I have always been one to pray, at any time of day, whether it was in the car, at the dinner table, or in bed at night. Whether it be for 10 seconds or 4 minutes – I find comfort in prayer.
The other morning I was chatting with Brody about praying for people – I often stop to have the kids pray for someone even it is brief — I want them to enjoy learning about faith, and incorporate it more into their lives. It just caught me off guard that our conversation was just as brief as the questions — and I realize with him being so young there is only so much he will understand. BUT – with that said, I would love for our boys to have a greater understanding of the bigger picture in life.
Just because I had a tough time with my faith in my adolescent years does not mean I cannot start again – Or that my boys will have the same experience. To be honest, I think it is good to have moments that challenge you in your faith. No one is perfect, no way of doing things is perfect, So I guess Dan and I more than anything want to find a way for our family that fits us – we do not want to fit our kids into a mold.
Listen, I curse, we make inappropriate jokes (all of which not in front of the kids) – we are super social, like to enjoy a cocktail now and again and do not always follow a straight line. I definitely want the kids to feel accepted in their church – for whatever the case may be. I remember feeling like my family was suddenly frowned upon once my parents divorced. It was an awful feeling thinking that a church that you once spent a ton of time with – looked at you a bit differently.
I pray that these boys will one day truly understand that they are not alone. That when no one else understands, they can turn to their faith for comfort and reassurance that everything will be okay.
We love, we fight, we laugh, we make mistakes, and were all praying in our own way. Maybe it doesn’t have to be like the old days to be just as good as our new ones?
Through writing this out I guess I am starting to realize that I do not have to follow the exact path I did – nor do my children – I just want them to have a greater grasp on whats important in life – and how to keep their faith at the top of the list.
I stumbled across this song the other day – through a blogger I have mentioned before – Natalie
I am LOVING… listen to it daily + catch myself singing it all the time.
It will give you goosebumps! (the song – not my singing)
I am loving incorporating into our car rides and hoping the kids will grasp the message one day.
