Tag jesus

When Your Guardian Angel Can’t Quite Make It in the Door…

Intentergy 4 Comments

My father was losing his battle to colon cancer; we all said our goodbyes, cried countless tears, and took turns sitting by his side. As we rolled into the second week of watching my strong, stubborn dad hold on, the hospice team suggested that maybe he needed some time alone. Perhaps he needed some peace and quiet to move on from this life.

With this suggestion made, my sisters, Mom, and I divided our attention and attempted to give him some space. Mom went to the back room to wrap gifts (because, of course, it was the week before Christmas), one sister went to the office to get some work done, my other sister tried to take a nap in the guest room, and I headed home to check on Hubby and the kids.

After a couple of hours, I verified that my house was still standing and my family was doing okay, so I headed back to Mom and Dad’s. When I arrived at the front door, there was a bird just sitting there like a tiny, feathered, slightly-dazed sentry.

The bird didn’t move as I approached, but I could tell it was still alive. After passing the bird’s glassy-eyed station, I stepped inside and announced its stupified presence on the stoop.

My sister, who had returned to Dad’s bedside, replied, “Yeah, we thought it was Dad’s angel coming to get him, but it couldn’t get through the door.”

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How Did the Holy Family Figure It Out?

Intentergy 1 Comment

It’s crazy how often we find ourselves praying for one thing and then the words of someone we love or respect smack us right upside the head with the truth about what we need in place of what we thought we wanted. This past Sunday, I entered church in a very snippy mood. My children had aggravated me to the point I was not feeling very faithful. I kneeled in the pew and prayed for God to help me handle my little heathens.

It just so happened that this Sunday was the feast of the Holy Family and the readings were about what God asked of Mary and Joseph, how Mary held all the worries and wonders in her heart, and how Jesus grew smart, strong, and full of grace. Our priest Father Tony is one of the most relatable pastors we could ever ask for. He started his homily by speaking on how happy it made him to see the way our community always comes together and the work we do to raise our children well. He went on to say that he knew not all families were made the same. He mentioned the “nuclear” families, the blended families, the families made up of grandparents raising grandchildren, foster families, and any variety of “dysfunctional” families possible. He told us of his estranged brother and how it hurt him to think of his brother’s decision to remove himself from their lives.

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