When school is over, then I’ll [...]
April 6, 2008 at 9:36 pm (Lent, Orthodoxy)
Today is the Sunday when we remember St. John of the Ladder’s great (and terrifying) book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent. This book could be sub-titled How to Become Christ-like in Thirty Excruciatingly Difficult Steps. Chapter one is about renouncing the world and getting rid of the things that distract us from Christ. As I was listening to Fr. Thaddeus’ homily this morning, I realized how much college distracts me from the things of God. So many nights I fall asleep reading and miss my prayers. So many days I’m unable to attend week-day services. So many week-ends I’m so tired or bogged down with course work that I never have people over for a meal. So many emails have gone unanswered. So many Bible readings have gone unread because I have to read for school. All my sentences these days start out with an apologetic “Well, when school is over, then I’ll [....]. I’ll invite my god daughter and her husband over for dinner, I’ll weed the garden, I’ll attend week-day matins and evening vespers, I’ll read all the Christian books gathering dust on my shelves, I’ll fix my husband good dinners, I’ll read books to my granddaughter, I’ll walk the dogs, I’ll answer all my emails, I’ll read through the Bible, I’ll bake bread again, I’ll knit my older daughter the afghan I promised her a few years ago…
Lord have mercy.
dusty said,
April 6, 2008 at 10:18 pm
I heard my voice when I read this. LOL I did not use my schooling though, but the fact that I was home schooling my daughter.
So when the perfect excuse is no longer there, how do we get busy and get motivated to get to all those things we have been putting off?
Xenia said,
April 7, 2008 at 12:41 am
Dusty, I don’t know! I fear I will sleep til noon and spend the rest of the day blogging if I’m not careful. We used to homeschool when our kids were younger- I miss those days. Now we’re all scattered.
dusty said,
April 7, 2008 at 1:17 am
Xenia,
sleeping til noon once in a while sounds good.
I think you are right, we will find other things to distract us. lol
debd said,
April 7, 2008 at 10:55 am
I’m like Dusty. There’s always some excuse. Thanks so much for this - I needed to hear it.
Daniel said,
April 10, 2008 at 3:57 am
Since your older son is currenly warming himself with the blanket you knitted him a couple christmas’s ago, I can’t argue with that part. P.S., the email I used with this is new. My anonymous Wi-fi benifactor has apparently either moved, or stopped paying his bill, thus, I am now using clearwire.
Xenia said,
April 10, 2008 at 4:12 am
Daniel, hello! I think your blankie was the last useful thing I’ve knitted… except for the chihuahua sweater, that it. Did you have a nice birthday? You should see Wanny’s birthday tattoo!