Ash Wednesday -- Our Challenge!

Let us change our garments for ashes and sackcloth: let us fast and lament before the Lord: for plenteous in mercy is our God to forgive sins. Ash Wednesday Antiphon, Joel 2:13

Today the start of Lent was a very interesting day for us ~ not what I planned at all.
My plans consisted of taking Moran for a blood test, this was a big step for her and me and was successful only through many prayers and a very lovely Nurse taking the blood.
After this we came home to go to Ash Wednesday Mass at Noon.
The older boys were working and planned to go to an evening Mass at 7:300pm.

My plans after Mass we needed to go shopping for some essential food supplies, bread milk etc and then come home to make our traditional crown of thorns and finish my Lenten countdown calender.
We were going to then finish preparing our Lenten display and changing all our Linens to purple.

Sadly this is NOT what happened at all.

All during Mass Rogan said he did not feel well and sat through most of the Mass.
Of course Arwen was not her happy little self and I spent a lot of time standing p with her--- this is very unusual for her as we actually have very quiet and well behaved children in Church.

AS the Deacon was giving Communion to those who were unable to leave their seats Vellvin said that Eden was feeling very faint.
I gave Arwen to Autumn and started to take Eden out of Church, somehow I think we tripped the Deacon up and he fell to his knees ( I think he is in his late 80's) as we were approaching the side door Eden fainted and fell to the floor unconscious.

Father Felix finished up Mass while I was thinking - not again.
Why was I thinking that. Well three years ago we had Saxon faint while we in the line for the Imposition of the Ashes and had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance.

This year we were blessed by one of the regular parishioners coming to our aid. We were further blessed by his being a Doctor. He took over for me. Thank God.
Another lady who is the parish Secretary rang the Ambulance for me and the Doctor spoke to the ambulance people.

To make a long story short. We waited a long time for the ambulance, a second call was made. The Doctor stayed with us and Merin (the parish secretary) offered to take the children with her and Father Felix back to the Prespretory and give them lunch and care for them until we got back to the hospital. Another blessing to be sure as I didn't have another driver with me to take them home.

When the ambulance finally arrived and Eden was in their care. The doctor and others who were waiting finally went about their own lives.

Eden went in the Ambulance and I followed with Arwen in our car.... well sort of first I had to get petrol. Tell me you all leave this to the last minute too, and by the time I got to the hospital Eden was already in the Emergency department and I had to wait FOREVER and fill in a heap of forms before I could go in to see her.
Did I mention Arwen had finally gone to sleep by now?

Well I finally was able to see her and they said she was fine and we could go home.OK next step please!

On my way to pick up the other children. Merin rang and said that they were "dropping like flies".
How embarrassing, she and Sister Carmel were looking after our children and then they start to throw up all over the place, well into buckets, but you get the idea-- they are infectious.

So home we came to an afternoon and evening of tending to our sick children. Yes Eden is sick again too. Lots of high temperatures and throwing up and of course the "trio of terror' are NOT sick, yet, so are creating mess everywhere to be cleaned up in between nursing calls.

We certainly covered the abstinence and fasting for the day as we had very little to eat all day and Breakfast cereal for dinner, those of us who could stomach food.

And to cap it all off I told the boys the wrong Mass time, so after driving to another town for Mass they arrived just as it was finishing.

However in a very brief lull I picked up one of my reading books for the year ~
Seasons of a Mothers Heart - Sally Clarkson and started reading.

In this book I have found my Lenten task -'To count it all Joy.'

I think I am a fairly positive and enthusiastic person, but sometimes lately I have not looked upon my life with wholehearted joy. I have been waiting for things to change , for the house to sell, for us to be reunited as a family. To be more financially well off and I have come to the realisation that these thing take my Joy.

They take the very essence of what I love about being a wife and mother to my husband and children.
So for this Lenten season as I have been blessed by today 's circumstances I will "count it all Joy" everything good, bad and the ugly and I pray that at the end of this Lenten journey I will have found fruit in all that has come my way.

This is the quote that spoke to my heart ~ from Sally
" I am more convinced than ever that even in the midst of the mundane, burdensome, and oftentimes frustrating tasks of life allotted to me as a mother, God wants me to find his joy. He wants every single day of my life to be a celebration of his blessings, whether they are large or small. He wants me to celebrate....the life he has given me."

I don't know that my theme for Lent fits into the' give up or sacrifice level' that is a prime theme for Lent, but this is where I am convinced God has led me this Lent.

So as we all begin this Lenten season I pray that your own Lenten journeys are a time of great enrichment and fruitfulness as well.

Many Blessings,