I’m thrilled to be a part of Sara’s stewardship virtue challenge this week, When she asked what topic I would like to write on, I knew right away I’d want to share about self-care in the midst of caring for others.
Pope Francis tells us that, “the world needs everyday saints, those of ordinary life lived out coherently.” These words have dogged my steps since I read them, along with the questions they brought up in my heart.
What does coherence mean in my life? What does it look like for my life to be a unified whole, consistent across all fronts? What does it look like lived out in this very demanding time of life, caring for 3 little kids and an elderly Gram? What does it look like when my husband is working 80 hour weeks and we are both of us exhausted and stretched thin?
I’ve prayed with these questions and meditated on the ways I see Him working. What I heard from the Lord is this:
Coherence in this (and every) stage of my life means that I am allowing everything in my life- all that I do, all that I give, all that I am- flow from my relationship with the Lord.
The challenge for me is that to live this out, I need to be better at self-care. In this season of caring for others, it’s easy for me to place my own needs at the bottom of the to do list, to keep pushing them further and further down, as more demands are placed on my time, my body, and my energy by others. And I never get to the end of my to do list.
It’s taken me longer than I’d care to admit to truly internalize this, but self-care is a necessity. I’m a better wife and mom, more able to live out my vocation with grace, when I am well-rested, have eaten healthy and nutritious food that fuels my body, and have a consistent prayer life. That last one is especially easy for me to let slip in the busyness of the day.
So I’m making some changes.
I’ve cut refined sugar (mostly) from my diet.
I’m trying to drink more water and get a walk in every day.
I’m prioritizing quality time and restful activities like reading in the evening to help me wind down.
I’m choosing to go to bed earlier than I want to get the sleep I know I need.
I asked my Mom for help watching the kids so that I can go to holy hour at the parish across the street once a week.
I scheduled morning prayer for myself into our daily routine here at home.
These are all small changes that bear great fruit in my life. My challenge for you today is to ask yourself what changes do you need to make in order to become an everyday saint, someone whose life is lived out coherently?
Make sure you head on over to To Jesus Sincerely to keep up with the rest of the Virtue Challenge this month. I know I will!