I Am Nobody

I'm nobody!  Who are you?

Are you nobody, too?

Then there's a pair of us--don't tell!

They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary, to be somebody!

How public, like a frog

To tell your name the livelong day

To an admiring bog!

~Emily Dickinson~

The older I get, the more this rings true.  I am nobody in this world, striving for perfection in the next.  I am only making progress when I see the way, the truth, and the life in front of me...He has a plan and I need only to follow and trust.  On a good day with attempt to surrender, I am free and the path is clear.   The more I can huddle near to the shepherd and follow His lead, the closer I am to the ultimate goal.  However, as Father T. said at Mass the other day, too often we try to be the back seat driver!  I think this is one of my greatest faults.  When I try to fight with the driver, my path is muddled and I struggle to stay the course.   Why is it so hard to relax and trust our professional chauffeur? 

Over the the last 7 years that we have been homeschooling, it has been a constant struggle to get to daily Mass.  We have been sporadic with our attendance, due to the single option of 7 AM!  It has often been difficult to get there with young babies and toddlers to get dressed, out of the house, loaded up in the car, all in the wee hours of the morning.  There were times when I took little ones to Mass in their PJ's, determined to start our day with Him.  Worn out and exhausted, I have stopped and started many times.  I have often gone alone when I had older children to watch the little ones.  Countless prayers have been said and the battle continued.  

Recently, we have a new priest who celebrates daily Mass in our parish.  He has asked my older children to be daily altar servers. Our parish hasn't had altar servers for daily Mass as long as I can remember!  This is mostly due to the fact that most children are on their way to school at that hour.  Being that we homeschool, there are no excuses, other than the usual hardships. {wink} Our children agreed and have taken on the responsibility with a vengeance.  Serving daily Mass is a new passion!  The children are eager to get to Mass and excited to serve the Lord...This has happened, literally, over night.  Their excitement is contagious, spilling over to the younger children.  Miraculously, the children in our house are driving the motivation (and me) to Mass in the morning...No credit to myself, I am nobody.  They are living proof of God's plan.  Undoubtedly, when God decides that we should be somewhere, He sees fit that we arrive where we ought to be.  He is the ultimate chauffeur!  This time, I am enjoying the ride.  I am nobody, how about you?
 

"The parents exist to teach the child, but they must also learn what the child has to teach them; and the child has a very great deal to teach them."~Arnold Bennett~