Yoga Pants and the Promised Land

Last weekend the husband and I were hashing out some details and dreams while
driving home from visiting my sister's family in Michigan. There was a lot of "YES!"
"TOTALLY!" and "DO IT!" thrown around. We were like a Nike commercial -
flying down the interstate. Put it on a list and shred it up, baby.

Speaking of babies, that reminds me...

When I DO have any "free" time - I tell you what! I am taking a shower, eating my
breakfast for lunch, and running a load of laundry for the sake of God bless clean underwear. Occasionally I'll get half my toenails painted and maybe run to the mailbox. It's like Christmas
came early on the days I make it to the grocery store with all three in tow.

Define "IN TOW": Always running in front of me, asking all the Costco employees if they
have gluten-free samples, and falling over, laughing hysterically in the check-out because
saying "desitin birthday" is basically the spoken form of a fart in their world.

I can't even wrap my mind around that. Boys.

And at night, when they all fall asleep, I am either penning love notes to my readers
here in the field or watching episode after episode of Property Brothers on Netflix.
Because my midnight snack is called "fried brain", my friends. Fried.

I wanted to be a nun at one point in my life. Cloistered sounded romantic.
And after all the marriage and babies, I woke up one morning to find that I actually took
a habit after all. It consists of black yoga pants and hoodies. *angelic choir sings*

My order allows me to wear make-up on special occasions, and take naps. But ONLY when
the entire community wants to take a nap. Which happens... um never. You don't even have
to think about fasting or feasting. It just happens! Starving, starving, feeding everyone
else --- and then PRAISE THE LORD you get to eat cake for lunch because it's way easier
than making a salad. Are you called?

It is the most silly, wonderful -- beautifully blessed - calling, my friends.
Yes, it busts and breaks me, but in the best ways. "How is having 3 kids?" people ask.
I'm not one to sugar coat reality, so I honestly admit that HAVING them is awesome!
Taking care of them now?! That's where it gets tricky. Wink.


But it is here in the cloister of my home that hearts and souls are being
loved, formed, raised to go out and meet the world some day. My quiver has three arrows.
Three arrows that can help pierce the darkness and make a difference for the Kingdom.

Call me Katniss Everdeen. For real. Do it. Ha.

"Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the Promised Land.
She prepares a world she will never see." - Pope Paul VI
All those dreams and details? I'm living it. In my cloister. With my children.
Yes, I do not have all the time in the world to "shred it up", but I am given ENOUGH
time every day to take care of what GOD wants me to accomplish - and that's ok.

Yesterday I read a beautiful reflection over at Blessed Is She. All about Noah and his ark.
God's instructions, His plans, His desires for Noah and his family sounded ridiculous.
"Here, just build a ginormous ark in your front yard and gather animals and their mates -
load 'em up - bon voyage!" Noah was called. He answered. He did ENOUGH with what time
was given to accomplish God's will -- and it SAVED THEM.

For me, motherhood is redeeming. It is my ark; complete with all the ridiculous
requests and adequate time to save them. To save me.


Diapers need to be changed, because we're going to the Promised Land.