New Perspective

As I was rushing around this morning trying to get Mike ready for work and the kids up and dressed an hour earlier than they are used to getting up, I was feeling a bit stressed. In my mind I was going over a check list of what I needed to get done to make it out the door on time. As always I allowed enough time but still felt stress. Once Mike left I again did a mental check ( Notes for all kids who may be tardy for school... check,church envelope... check,order form and check for Cindy and Michael's shirts for Witness( winning in the never ending search for salvation ) that I wanted to give to the director whom I would see at mass... check, everyone wearing clothing that was presentable for church... check ) OK we were prepared to go. Cindy and Michael were running on slow so they opted to eat their breakfast in the car under the provision that they had to do it quickly in order to observe the hour fast before Communion. Finally we were on our way with plenty of time. As I drove in the dark the kids were quiet and I began to think. At first I wondered why I could not remember going to Mass last Ash Wednesday. I could remember a couple years back before that but not last year. It finally came to me, Last year Mike was admitted to the hospital the night before Ash Wednesday. Though he turned out to be fine, at the time,we thought that he either had a heart attack or was ready to have one. It all came back so clear. I remember taking him to the ER for what we assumed was something like Asthma. I remember how scared I was when I was told that he was being taken by ambulance to an inpatient facility because his cardiac enzymes were extremely elevated. I remember driving to the facility crying while praying that he would be OK. I remember setting by his bedside as he insisted that I go home and go to bed, promising that he would be OK. Yes this whole nightmare came back, but then the realization that he was in fact Ok ,that the elevated enzymes were not caused by a bad heart but an injury to his back. I remember how I felt once all tests were done and Mike was released with a clean bill of health. How thankful I was to God for answering my prayers. I had a whole new perspective as I pulled into the Church this morning ( fifteen minutes early for mass) Suddenly it was no bother at all. I was glad to be there . I am thankful that I will have the chance to go again this afternoon with my husband who I love and adore. I am even thankful that I can observe an Ash Wednesday fast today. Most of all though,I am thrilled that the lemon pie that I bought at Arthur Treacher's yesterday and then brought home not remembering that I couldn't eat it today, broke and I realized that the girl gave me apple instead. Thank you God for taking the temptation away !