can pay my bills<\/a>. It\u2019s a reminder to me to look at things with a more grateful perspective and stop obsessing over the things I can\u2019t seem to figure out.<\/p>\nIt reminds me to think back on what my old spiritual director once said \u2013\u00a0When you don\u2019t know what to do or can\u2019t figure out the plan God has for you, get up every day and be the best Catholic that you can be.<\/i><\/p>\n
Sound advice, this. But why is it so difficult?<\/em><\/p>\nDon\u2019t Beat Yourself Up!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nIt\u2019s funny because every day I wake up with the same intention \u2013\u00a0This is the day I\u2019m going to get a handle on my prayer life. This is the week I\u2019m going to make it to Adoration and daily Mass.<\/i><\/p>\n
By noon, my morning thoughts are forgotten and on most days, I should be taking an inventory of my list for confession!\u00a0 I asked a friend recently \u2013 why does no-one tell you that living is hard?\u00a0It really is hard<\/em>.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s certainly important to\u00a0work prayer into your daily life, but you\u2019ve got to put it into context. I recently listened to a talk by a very good priest that reminded me working women aren\u2019t supposed to pray the same way a Sister would pray. And single folks don\u2019t pray the same way a single mom with two kids would pray.<\/p>\n
\nPrayer is supposed to be our conversation with God and I\u2019m sure He doesn\u2019t want it to be as hard as we make it.<\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Rather than beating ourselves up because we don\u2019t have what we think is the perfect prayer life, we need to learn to make all of the little gestures we do throughout the day our prayer. Is your coworker wrestling with a difficult project? Bring coffee. Is the copy machine out of paper? Fill it without grumbling. Do your children cancel dinner at home to visit friends? Accept graciously. Get an unexpected bill in the mail? Thank God for your job and know that God has your back.<\/p>\n
When that extra support comes from friends or family members that have been generous already, take a deep breath and push aside the embarrassment. In humility, accept their gesture because your situation is helping them to learn selflessness too.<\/p>\n
This type of demeanor, when lived honestly, shows a willingness to die to self and that is the greatest prayer of all.<\/p>\n
So if today is a difficult day for you, try to remind yourself that even if you\u00a0don\u2019t know it or can\u2019t figure it out \u2013 God really does have a plan for you. And the best thing we all can do until that plan unfolds in a way we can understand it, is work to be the best Catholics we can be. What are some ways that help you keep your prayer focus when times are tough?<\/p>\n
Heather Voccola is a new contributor to A Million Unheard souls, and brings to us more of that hard-earned wisdom that comes with surviving divorce and succeeding as a single mother. Heather is author of the book, Contrition<\/em><\/strong>, and you can find out more by visiting her website, HeatherVoccola.Com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Prayer is supposed to be our conversation with God, and I\u2019m sure he doesn\u2019t want it to be as hard as we make it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2423,"featured_media":726,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[3,14,121,119,5,118,78,120,75],"class_list":["post-720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marriage-and-divorce","tag-catholic-annulment","tag-catholic-divorce","tag-contrition","tag-heather-voccola","tag-how-to-heal-after-divorce","tag-perfectionism","tag-prayer","tag-prayer-life","tag-year-of-mercy"],"yoast_head":"\n
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