The Reality of Raising Saints Is That It’s HARD

“Well, yeah, Gina. . .”

So yeah, a few years ago I thought it’d be sweet and clever to name a new blog “Someday (hopefully they’ll be) Saints”. After all, that is the goal. Sainthood. What else is there? Sainthood, or not. Sainthood and eternal joy and feasting and great times in Heaven with God, or not. Heaven or Hell. There’s not another option. And of course I want my kids to be saints someday. (Myself, too, and I figure if being a mother doesn’t get me to heaven, well, nothing will.)

You know the reality is that raising kids to be someday-saints is hard. Kids have free will. I am stating the obvious. Being the imperfect human I am, stating the obvious somehow makes it sink in a bit more. Raising saints is not all sunshine and butterflies. Raising children to be grown-up people who can carry on an intelligent conversation is not easy. Have you talked to a boy lately? I mean really. It’s a good day to not talk about or hear about farts.

I digress. This gig is hard. You know this already if you are reading this, because I’m 99% sure only moms read this blog. Ok, and maybe my dad and my husband, who also already know parenting is hard since they are dads.

This gig is hard because kids are unpredictable. They think their own thoughts, ask their own questions, make their own (sometimes rotten) choices. Discussing their thoughts, answering the questions, dealing with the choices–it’s messy, it’s hard, it’s non-stop.

It’s exhausting.

Dear God, where is the manual for this vocation?? Where is the handbook for handling these situations?

I’m still hoping for a miracle book to show up on my dresser.

Who am I kidding? There’s no miracle other than the grace of God continually getting me through the day, and the miracles will be evident when any and hopefully all of my kids and myself and my husband are in heaven one day. It’s the getting there that is insanely hard.

I’ve been plodding along, praying constantly, reading a few actual books, and begging the intercessions of saints who made it.

We’ve had big, hard questions about life and faith around here lately. We’ve been dealing with emotions and appropriate reactions to hurts and disappointments. We’ve been praying for our friends and family, praying for the country, praying in gratitude for daily blessings. We’ve been learning to even pray in the first place.

These days have been taking a lot out of me. They leave me tired and praying for enough rest to do well tomorrow. Raise your hand if you can relate. 😉

It’s why the blog has been quiet lately. There’s little time for blogging when six young souls need caring for. There’s little time for blogging when one particular young one either has snatched a stray marker or Lego and is stirring up trouble. 😉

And since it’s Advent, I find it a lovely time to quiet things down a bit more. I want to take this time to connect more deeply with my kids, read more books aloud with them, and let my own soul rest in silence. Those things are what will gradually bring us towards sainthood. Any wiser moms than I who have books to suggest, please let me know. And please pray for me! I can use all the extra help and grace I can get.