What Are We Going to Do Today, Lord?
For some time now I’ve been looking for ways to make my relationship with God less compartmentalized. Ways to ensure that God is present all throughout my day, in everything I do, and not only during specific times of the day that I carve out for prayer and reflection. Ways to really walk by God’s side and practice Galatians 2:20 which states, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
In reality, my daily life is very different; not unlike many of you, the responsibilities of a demanding job, a family, a house, etc. take most of my day and my mind, and it is easy to go through the motions of the day without, having God in my mind. Believe me, I am not proud of it, but saying that I live life in a state of mystic inspiration is simply not true.
I prayed to the Holy Spirit for his intervention, almost thinking that a celestial light was going to come down from heaven and inspire me. I kept thinking about the many images of the Apostles and the saints; images that portray them surrounded by light and gazing up to heaven, fully overpowered by God’s love. Then I realized that I needed to be more practical about it. I needed to use the “earthly” tools that I have at my disposal to be more intentional and purposeful about my desire to keep God present in my life.
With the help of my spiritual advisor, I put aside the shame I felt for struggling to keep God present. I shared with her the tools that I use to keep me focused on God…. The Hallow App routines, a rosary on my desk, in my car, and on my night table, an alarm on my phone at 3:00 pm every day, and even a sticky note on my computer monitor. Yes, I know these are very mundane, and God is not a task in my to do list, but these tools help me. They really do. Every single one of these non-celestial and potentially prosaic reminders bring me back to God, even if it’s only briefly, and they create a thread that is interwoven in my day. That is what I want; to look back at my day and reflect on all the moments when I was able to feel the presence of God, even if I needed a little push.
I don’t know if I ever won’t need reminders, but for now, I do, and I am happy to have many helpful tools and use them in a disciplined and consistent way. It is comforting to know that God will be in my day, so I start my day by asking God, “What are we going to do today, Lord?
Maria Eugenia was born in Caracas, Venezuela, the oldest of four siblings. She lives in Bolton, Massachusetts with Alex, her husband of 22 years, and Rocky, their 2-year old French Bulldog. Alex and Maria Eugenia are parents to twin boys Carlos and Luis, 18, both college freshmen. Maria Eugenia was raised in a Catholic family, though her Catholic faith had not always been present in her life. Maria Eugenia was inspired by Christina’s journey and by the beautiful way in which her parents and close friends choose to maintain her legacy. Christina’s faith has reframed her perspective of life and has given her a newfound source of strength and purpose.
