Happy Father's Day!
I am blessed with a husband who truly loves our children and is focused on being an active Daddy and committed spouse.
That said, life is not all love and laughter here. Often enough, life is just plain challenging.
And, that's okay.
No one ever said that life as a married person with children would be perfect.
I am blessed with a husband who truly loves our children and is focused on being an active Daddy and committed spouse.
That said, life is not all love and laughter here. Often enough, life is just plain challenging.
And, that's okay.
No one ever said that life as a married person with children would be perfect.
Rather, perfection is what awaits us in Heaven one day.
Until then, here on earth, mess abounds.
Sometimes it's a beautiful mess. Other times, it is a downright difficult one. Either way, the mess amounts to an opportunity to grow in holiness and to sand down the rough edges and imperfections of ourselves.
When a Husband and Wife Are Holy Sandpaper
Sometimes it's a beautiful mess. Other times, it is a downright difficult one. Either way, the mess amounts to an opportunity to grow in holiness and to sand down the rough edges and imperfections of ourselves.
When a Husband and Wife Are Holy Sandpaper
Ah, yes, those rough edges and imperfections! I know I am full of them - and, I dare say, my husband might admit he's got a few, too.
Luckily, though, God knows this about us, and, in His divine wisdom, He has made us Holy Sandpaper for one another.
Indeed, when my husband and I seem rub each other the wrong way, if we remain open to God, He has a way of taking whatever is going awry and righting it.
So often, He turns our wrong-way rubbing into opportunities to smooth down our jagged corners, stubborn bumps, and rough edges.
He also invites us to pray for one another - especially when things are rough.
And, that is how two simple prayer pegs for my husband came about.
Pray When Receiving Communion
One day, when I was feeling rather raw from the rubbing that can happen in marriage, I talked to a priest about it. He suggested to me that I pray for my husband each time I go up to receive the Eucharist,
What a simple, yet powerful practice! I thought.
Thus, one regular opportunity to pray for my husband got pegged into life each time I went to Mass.
Offer Prayers at the Start of Each Rosary
Luckily, though, God knows this about us, and, in His divine wisdom, He has made us Holy Sandpaper for one another.
Indeed, when my husband and I seem rub each other the wrong way, if we remain open to God, He has a way of taking whatever is going awry and righting it.
So often, He turns our wrong-way rubbing into opportunities to smooth down our jagged corners, stubborn bumps, and rough edges.
He also invites us to pray for one another - especially when things are rough.
And, that is how two simple prayer pegs for my husband came about.
Pray When Receiving Communion
One day, when I was feeling rather raw from the rubbing that can happen in marriage, I talked to a priest about it. He suggested to me that I pray for my husband each time I go up to receive the Eucharist,
What a simple, yet powerful practice! I thought.
Thus, one regular opportunity to pray for my husband got pegged into life each time I went to Mass.
Offer Prayers at the Start of Each Rosary
Another time, when I was praying a rosary after a difficult time with my husband and spoke aloud the words "for faith, hope, and charity" during the initial three Hail Mary's of a rosary, a thought struck me.
Faith, hope, and charity. That is what I need - and my husband, too.
I recognized an alignment between the ideas of faith, hope, and charity and some petitions that I had been praying about my husband and our marriage: that my husband - and I! -would grow in faith, that our marriage would grow in God's hands, and that my husband and I would both show more charity in our communications.
From that moment forward, I began adding, "for my husband, our marriage, and our communication" to almost every rosary I prayed.
Then, later, when my husband had some work issues, I also added intentions for his employment into the same prayer peg, and, now, I often add other small intentions.
Pray Daily for Your SpouseFaith, hope, and charity. That is what I need - and my husband, too.
I recognized an alignment between the ideas of faith, hope, and charity and some petitions that I had been praying about my husband and our marriage: that my husband - and I! -would grow in faith, that our marriage would grow in God's hands, and that my husband and I would both show more charity in our communications.
From that moment forward, I began adding, "for my husband, our marriage, and our communication" to almost every rosary I prayed.
Then, later, when my husband had some work issues, I also added intentions for his employment into the same prayer peg, and, now, I often add other small intentions.
Between praying for my husband when receiving the Eucharist and praying for him at the beginning of each Rosary, I have become better at specifically praying for him each and every day.
Such prayers, I believe, are part of my vocation or marriage. Undoubtedly, God gave my husband and I to one another so that we would both grow in holiness - and prayer is such an important part of that growth.
On good days, and on challenging ones, prayers of thanksgiving, petition, praise are vital. Do you, too, pray specific prayers at specific times for your spouse?
What's a Prayer Peg?
If you are new here or have not caught my prior Prayer Pegs posts, let me explain that as a busy, distractable Mom, I am not always good at listening to St. Paul's exhortation from 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing."
Thus, I have come to establish a number of "prayer pegs" for myself and my children as a way of building "Holy Habits" for us which will flow naturally, seamlessly, and rhythmically within our lives.
Thus, I have come to establish a number of "prayer pegs" for myself and my children as a way of building "Holy Habits" for us which will flow naturally, seamlessly, and rhythmically within our lives.
These "prayer pegs" are simply acts of blessing, praise, thanksgiving, petition, and intercession that we've attached to specific activities in order to form intentional habits of unceasing prayer. For just like one can purposefully peg laundry to a line, we can attach a distinct form of prayer to a regular part of our lives.
What prayer pegs work for you and yours at other times during your days and weeks? Do share!
May your husband - or wife - be filled with grace, growing closer to God each and every day!
