A Mother's Rule of Life

I finished A Mother's Rule of Life a few weeks ago. While it is geared towards mothers, you don't have to be a mother (nor a woman) to get a lot from it.

Holly Pierlot shows us how to put balance in our lives. She talks about how she came to decide that she needed a "Rule of Life" just like religious sister's in a convent follow a Rule of a particular saint. She stresses throughout the book that the Rule is not simply a schedule, but rather has God as the main focus. First she talks about how rather then sit down and simply write out a "schedule" for our days and weeks we need to pray about what direction God wants us to be following in our vocations.

She then guides the readers through setting up your own rule. While I'm still praying and haven't put anything to paper I have been pondering and will probably read the book a few more times over the years.

I'll be honest and say that one of the last chapters is what hit me between the eyes and has had me pondering ever since reading it. She talks about the sin of sloth. And I've been feeling very lazy for a while now. I just have no DESIRE to accomplish this task or that task. So what do I do? I don't do it. I let it slide. And she says that she too slipped into that. I feel like I don't have the energy to do things so I use that as an excuse. And let me tell you.....I was getting mighty angry at myself.

So Holly gave two suggestions that I have been trying to follow each time I start to feel like a little kid saying "I don't waaant to.....clean the bathroom; put clothes away; clean up the clutter; pay the bills; etc."

1) Recognize that we are weak and so turn to God with deeper prayer

2) Decide to simply DO something. Don't sit around and not do what we don't "feel like" doing.

I have taken number 1 to heart A LOT these past few weeks. I have recognized in prayer EVERY DAY that I am weak and little and of my own I cannot accomplish ANY of the tasks He has set before me. And great fruit has started to come from that prayer. A deeper appreciation for Him as the Mighty Creator; a deeper trust that He is in control of everything no matter how much we may think He isn't or would rather He NOT be because we don't agree with how He does things.

I do need to continue working on the prayer of course but number 2 has come with more difficulty. I am trying to bend my will to God's will more. To recognize that I am weak yes but to not use the weakness as an excuse to NOT do things.

Like I said a few paragraphs us....I think this is a book that I will return to again and again over the years.