Our Lady of Guadalupe - Cleaning my Office

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Quote for the Day: "I shall show my tender clemency for those who love and seek me, for all who implore my protection, who call on me in their labors and afflictions. Our Lady of Guadalupe

My Office after a day of cleaning.... you don't even want to know what it looked like before I started! Click to see larger images... maybe I'll have clean and improved ones at the end of the week. We can always hope!!

I spent a couple of hours today attacking my office. It was a counter-attack. Definitely. Because my office has been attacking me for the last several weeks and I simply had to go on the offensive and fight back. The battle is not over - but I certainly made progress. The crowning point of my major offensive was when I found a piece of paper with a set of weekly goals on it from last year. Last December as a matter of fact. The main goal that struck me was that I had "firmly" resolved to get my office clean by Christmas!

And you know what - I definitely remember achieving that goal. I had a beautiful clean office. Only it didn't last. Not even a week if I recall. Perhaps my next goal needs to be, "To keep a clean office!" Now that would be something to remember a year later!

My friend Barb came over to help me in the attack. I really didn't think that it would work to have someone help me to clean... after all how would they know what to do with stuff? But it was wonderful. She did all the filing which included making file labels. She even kept going while I was outside checking on my brother John who had come over to winterize our little pond "pump" house.

So now I am a firm believer in getting HELP when you have a mess that seems to be overwhelming.

Which by way as I think of it.... can also apply to our "Walk with God." Today was "Confession Day" in the monastery, Father Alberic gave us the opportunity to receive this sacrament after Mass. That is one thing that is really good about living in a monastery - spiritual exercises, daily prayer, adoration, confession, etc. are all scheduled in. This makes it much easier to maintain a religious life when the structure is already set up.... you don't have to go to extra lengths to fit time with God in... this actually was one of the main reasons that I decided to join the monastery. Knowing my own weaknesses and inability to stay the course on anything without help... I deliberately made the choice to put myself in a place where I could get the help to do that.

I did not enter the Monastery until I was 25 years old.... and up until that time - my life was a roller coaster of Spirituality. Some weeks I would be fervent... some months I would not.... some weeks I didn't even hardly think of God. I knew that this pattern would only continue (as fervently as I might think at any particular moment that I wouldn't) because basically I was and am a weak person.

I think all of us - whether in the Monastery or not - need to take advantage that a spiritual community offers us. Whether as member of a Church, a Bible study or spiritual group. As Christians we need always to belong to the "body" of Christ and accept help from one another in many areas... from cleaning our messes spiritually and otherwise - to working, celebrating, rejoicing, grieving... whatever. Don't do it alone...not only do you accomplish much more - with greater ease... it's also a lot more fun!

Blessings,
Sr. Patricia