Once Upon A Time

As I dried the white dinner plate and stacked it away with the assortment of mismatched place settings…it sparked a flash back to my childhood.  Those were the days of family dinners…the days of no fast foods…the days of having to do the dishes by hand.  Oh!  How I hated that chore.

I did not understand why I had to do such a grueling unpleasant task when I could have been outside riding my bike, throwing a stick or skipping rocks across the water. 

Still even worse was the family’s saying of the Holy Rosary.  How I dreaded that before bed activity.  I wasted that time daydreaming of shooting squirrels with my Red Rider BB gun.  Yes…with that “shoot your eye out” BB gun that never appeared under my Christmas tree.

Now, almost three quarters of a century later, I enjoy washing dishes.  I like the feel of hot soapy water...cleaning the greasy pots and pans, drying and putting away the dishes.  I find it to be a most satisfying experience…perhaps therapeutic, possibly prayerful.  

Even stranger…the Rosary…is now, my go-to prayer.  The Rosary transports me to a better place with no need to skip rocks, ride bikes or shoot squirrels.  It’s kinda like a warm fuzzy daydream that fills me with hope.  The prayer calms my fears, wipes my tears and speaks to my soul.  It speaks to my soul about who is in charge, who will take care of me and who invites me to be like him.

I am not who I used to be.  Life…God’s grace…has changed me…Hopefully I am a better version of myself. 

Dear Lord:

Although I'm scared,
Thru life I've fared.
You did not care,

I’ve been elsewhere.

You spare no cost,

When I was lost.

You call me home,

When I roam.

You’re always there,

For my welfare.

You’ve done it all,

You took the fall.

I can’t repay,

In any way,

The things You’ve done,

That were not fun.

For nothing can replace
Your amazing grace.  

And all I can do 

Is say "Thank You"

Amen