Joy and Contentment

“I cannot be downcast, since in everything that happens to me, I see the loving Hand of Jesus.” (St. Therese of Lisieux) “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” ( 1 Thes 5:18 ) These are such edifying words but sometimes so hard to do. Are you content and joyful? Sometimes as mothers, we just slug through life, but we forget to do it with love, joy and contentment. Instead, we can find ourselves barking out orders, grumbling about another spill to wipe up, and wear a scowl on our faces. But is this what we want our children and husbands to see? Is this what Our Lord wants from us? Will these types of reactions from us make our children want to become holy men and women? We must strive to be joyful and content in ALL things. That means the dirty diapers, the sick child, the troublesome teen, the tantruming two year old. It doesn’t mean in just the “fun” things such as birthday parties, snuggling with a cute baby, helping a youngster learn to read. “One blessed be God in times of adversity is worth more than a thousand acts of gratitude in times of prosperity.” (St. John of Avila)
So how can we go about being more content and joyful? First of all, of course, is to pray for the grace to love our crosses and to WANT what we GET. Ask the blessed Mother daily, to make you a holy mother and a content and joyful wife. Mary never grumbled at St. Joseph or complained about how hard things were in her life. Look to Mary, who is our perfect model of a wife and mother and imitate her. Next, force yourself to smile at your children and husband and talk in a quiet tone, even when you don’t feel like it. Fake it till you make it. People long ago were very good at controlling their emotions. They may have felt like crying, complaining, or yelling but they had a much better handle on keeping their emotions in check than the average person today. People are so into “feelings” in this modern world, and expressing them, that they don’t know how to control them. I really feel like that is hurting so many families. We can choose how we are going to react. Yes, we may feel mad, irritated, or sad. But what do we do with those feelings? That is up to us. We can look to the cross instead of ourselves and decide that we will not grumble, complain, and have a poor me attitude. Instead we can thank our Lord for the cross and the chance to serve Him. It’s all about serving and we should want to serve Him and if we complain about what He has sent, we aren’t thankful for those crosses that he has given to help save us.
Another thing I find helpful, is to “see Jesus” in everyone I serve. When I am wiping that little nose, I can imagine it as being the infant Jesus and that will surely make me smile. “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto me.” When I am interrupted by someone (such as a sibling squabble) when I am doing something important, instead of getting angry and yelling at the child, I can thank God for giving me the opportunity to train my child in holiness. When my dh has to work late, instead of grumbling about having to be alone and do all of the evening work, I can thank God that he lets me stay at home and that he has a job.
If we can be joyful and content in all things, we will teach this to our children. So many are whiny, complaining, spoiled people who aren’t content with their lives. That is because they never learned it as children. Our children watch us and imitate us. There is a lot resting on our shoulders, and if we set the example, our children and husbands will follow. This is a daily struggle and one we won’t accomplish in a life time, but we must try our best daily to be content with all things.

Here are a few good sources to help in this area:

Uniformity With God’s Will by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri

Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence by Father Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure,Saint Claude de la Colombiere
The Holy Will of God Source of Peace and Happiness by Fr. Leo Pyzalski, C.S.S.R.