It has been said that bad things happen in threes. What if there is a fourth? Or a fifth? A sixth?
Our family is at number four as of this weekend when a swung baseball bat accidentally hit our nine-year-old son in the mouth. He ended up with two missing (permanent) teeth and a swollen lip. Thanks to modern dentistry and oral surgery, he will be fine, following root canals and caps. Accidents can happen to anyone, especially active, fearless boys.
There are times when it all feels like too much, doesn’t it? Too much on our plates, too much stress or sadness or pain, too much to wade through, too much strife. It is within this “too much” where we most need to find calm and tap into God’s grace. This can come through prayer or meditation; through time with our loved ones; though music; through actively seeking out solutions; through the natural beauty around us—a beautiful view, for instance, or the scent of a favorite flower (I found a hyacinth today!); or through service to another.
I must admit this weekend was a very difficult one for me, as I was feeling the compounding of bad things numbers one through four, but I am blessed with hope, an amazing husband and children, mother and siblings, friends and colleagues. I find resolve in knowing that my actions, attitudes and planning will benefit my son. And I know that God’s grace is present, too. As Father Timothy M. Gallagher so aptly said, “Courage is born at the point where God’s grace and human effort intersect.” I will continue to do my part and count on God for his grace, and if a fifth and sixth in the series do come to pass, I will be ready.
