I was looking forward to the day ahead. The sun was shining, my usual aches and pains were at a minimum. I started my morning routine, all happy and uplifted. And then, wham! I realized I’d forgotten to say my morning prayers!

Oops!

I was so caught up in the “moment” of the beginning of a good day, I’d forgotten to do what I promised myself I would always do, which was to begin the day in prayer.

I dropped everything and circled back to the beginning, and lifted up a huge “I’m sorry, Father,” for having forgotten.

And then, it struck me – wasn’t my appreciation and eagerness for the day a form of prayer? Oh, I don’t mean as an excuse for not praying. But, wasn’t my behavior that morning a kind of “I’m a child of the Father, and I’m so excited about this gift he has given  me that I forgot, for a moment, to say ‘thank you?'” moment? As children will often do, given an exciting, wonderful gift by a parent or grandparent?

In that light, I could imagine God smiling and shaking his head at my antics. Certainly, he wouldn’t punish me for my lapse. And, anyway, he knows exactly what I am going to pray at all times, anyway.

Above all, that morning was a good reminder that a rigid schedule can be helpful, but our intention is even more so. If we drag ourselves mechanically through the exact same prayer at the exact same time, we might lose the point of appreciating God’s gift of life and the blessings of a particularly wonderful, very good day.

Joy and peace,

Maureen