And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong....
Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around..."
(Lyrics Bad Day by Daniel Powter)
La, la, la, la....
Pardon my singing, but it is stuck in my head this morning. Yep, you guessed it. I had a bad day. In fact, the last few days have been rough. Pain, fatigue, muscle spasms, vision problems...typical issues for a person with MS when the disease is making itself known. Needless to say, I've been somewhat grouchy. (Sorry!) What is in the back of my mind is I have one month until school starts, my house is a mess, and we are going on vacation soon. Too much to do to be down and out!
There isn't much I can do on days like this except for rest. So that's what I've been doing. I've watched movies with my family. I've napped. And I've tried to squeeze in a little laundry and dishes here and there. But there is one other thing I did much more than usual over these last two days...
I prayed.
Sometimes I think God gives us these hiccups in our plans just when he thinks we need them so we have to stop and pray. It doesn't have to be organized, ritualistic prayer. A simple conversation will do. When I'm simply having a day where nothing goes right, I find a mantra that I can repeat over and over as a prayer.
"Jesus, I trust in you" -- St. Faustina, The Divine Mercy; Psalm 56:3
"His strength is made perfect in my weakness" -- 2 Corinthians 12:9
"Jesus, I know you're here." -- James 4:8, Isaiah 41:10
"Jesus, please help me." -- Psalms 50:15
Other days, it takes much more for me to truly place my cares in the Lord's hands. Daily mass. The Bible. Eucharistic Adoration. Christian music. Yesterday, it was my Rosary, where I offered each decade for special intentions while meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries. (I never can remember which mysteries go with which days. But for some reason, the Sorrowful Mysteries are so powerful for me when uniting my suffering with Christ's and his mother's.)
Prayer makes these trials manageable. It brings a sense of peace that nothing other than the Holy Spirit can provide. It is a true calm in the midst of a storm.
But what happens when we are in the midst of a trial, be it large or small, and we DON'T pray? Well, I don't know what happens to you, but I can tell you what happens to me. The problem always gets much, much bigger than it actually is and I turn into a crazy woman! My thoughts (and comments) get irrational, the molehill becomes a mountain, and I could just change my name to Chicken Little. It's not pretty, but it happens. It happens all too often. I have to do better. Thankfully, our God is patient!
So even though I woke up this morning not really feeling any different than I did yesterday, I am still trying to be thankful. I know that I will spend extra time in prayer today. So God, THANK YOU for these rough days because they bring me closer to you! (And yes, Daniel Powter, I AM that strong!)
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Heavenly Father, we all have our own trials in this earthly life. Help us to remember that it is in these sufferings, trials, uncertainties and anxieties that we can most easily find you, waiting with open arms to comfort us. Give us the presence of mind to recognize that these things are meant to draw us closer to you by uniting our suffering with your Son's. Each time we cast our cares upon you, we strengthen our faith. Thank you for the gift of trials and for the strength you give to us when we are weak. Please nudge our hearts and minds when we separate ourselves from you, and unite our will with yours. We bring you this prayer through your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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