running on empty

It has been a hectic three days.

We went to Mass Sunday morning and then left to visit family in another state.  The trip took about 7 hours or so.  We visited when we got there.  We visited on Monday - spent the whole day there. Watched the Saints game.   And we stopped in for a quick "hello" this morning before we left for another 7 hours or so back home.  Dear [grouchy] hubby, two sons, mother-in-law and niece.  The visit was great, and so were my traveling companions (except for the one I'm married to) but I need time to recharge.

I haven't had eight seconds to myself since Sunday morning - except for now - and it is time!  I haven't had time to pray, to journal, or to even think.

This morning while we were stopped at the gas station, I got a phone call.  The caller ID read "11:00 Holy Hour".  There is a perpetual adoration chapel near my house, and some time ago, I volunteered to substitute when "the regulars" can't make their assigned time, so I get a call every couple of months.  (I give the callers *some* identity in my list of contacts, so I don't ignore them, thus the '11:00 Holy Hour' designation.)  This request was for New Year's evening.  We don't usually do anything or go out, so I accepted.  Jesus wants to spend some time with me on New Year's Eve, and I am looking forward to visiting Him.  

[Just wondering....after rereading this post...do you think it is significant that I got this phone call to spend time with Jesus while we were stopped at a gas station?  My pastor likes to say that there are no coincidences with God.  Maybe while we were refueling the car, this is an invitation for me to refuel....since I was running on empty, myself...just wondering...]

When hubby was having "a moment" this morning, I ran the idea of working on "patience" this year by him.  (From Sunday's homily suggestion.)  He came back with some smart-arse answer, but I planted the seed.  We can work on it with or without him, I suppose.

Back to the real world tomorrow.  Mass in the morning.  Laundry.  Cleaning.  Prayer.  Putting away.  Doing school stuff.  Pushing the teenagers to get stuff done.  Finding missing items. Catching up with friends.  Solving some iPad glitches. Practicing patience.  Recharging.  Refueling.  Breathing.

Please pray for my youngest step grandchild.  (He will be 2 in a few days.)  He was admitted to the hospital this evening with a nasty staph infection on his leg.