7 Days of Gifts & Burnt Meatloaf
By: Eric Gajewski
Here are a few short stories to help keep our interior life in order....
I hope you enjoy and reflect upon them
7 Days of Gifts
A husband and wife have been married for well over twenty years. As the days would pass it seemed the "daily grind" got to the best of the wife so the Bridegroom in seeing this set out to do something special for his wife. Starting on that Monday he would set out and bring home a gift for his wife for the entire week. He arrived home to see his struggling wife crying in the living room when He handed over his first gift. Her face immediately lit up as she hugged him vigorously to see how deeply she was love and remembered. Still again, the next day the Husband came home and yet another gift and this one was even more heart warming. Over the next few days the same routine until she was accustom to receiving these gifts habitually.
On the 7th day the Husband decided to purposefully come home with no gift just Himself wrapped in ribbons. Upon his entrance the wife's face once again turned to sadness. The Husband did not know what to say. She immediately complained and griped, "Wheres my present?" For these past six days you have brought me home a gift and it has made my day and brought a smile upon my face and yet today you have brought me nothing. The Bridegroom began to immediately tear up. He began to walkaway and turned back unto his wife to say...."After twenty years of marriage I thought I alone was enough for you. I thought by giving you these gifts would once again awaken your heart unto what we had in our Marriage. I have come with nothing but myself and you did not see it this way. I have come on this seventh day as your Gift and you failed to see" Upon him finishing with his response the wife again began to cry realizing the point He was trying to make....
TCK: My good friends, in the spiritual life how often do we become complacent. How often do we take each grace for granted and when it is removed we complain. How often we stay focused upon the gift as opposed to the Giver and yet in the beatific vision all that we see and have is Him. To be in His Presence alone is enough. To find Him, to love Him and to keep Him requires not any gifts attached along with this. The gifts are good but not our focus. Let us not become blind my friends and every day thank Him for Him. Christ, truly is Present before us in grace "all wrapped up" and yet we still look for more? Favors and gifts are only the icing on the cake not the cake itself. It is not about where we are or what we receive but rather about WHO we are with. Why thence the tear's O' Catholic? Why thence the complaining and griping? Say rather to the Beloved, " I am here O' Lord" rather than carrying uponst thy heart, "wherest art Thou without any gifts...."
Burnt Meatloaf
A couple has just been married and the young woman is very nervous because She is about to prepare the first meal for her Husband. She knows he will be home in the evening and thus She goes out to shop and get all the items for her first meatloaf. She acquires all the items for the recipe and begins to put together the meal. Late afternoon She is distracted by getting all of her other work done around the house which the Husband expects of her. She dusts all the rooms. She vacuums all the rooms. She cleans the bathrooms and gets the diner table set for the meal. She at once remembers the meatloaf which has been in the oven for far too long. For while She was busy with her other work she forgot to set the timer. She begins to cry as she opens the oven to see her meatloaf all burnt up. It is now 6pm as her Husband walks thru the door with a smile.
The Husband enters to see his wife crying at the diner table. He looks around to see how spotless the Home indeed is and is pleased. His wife then begins to tell Him what She has been doing all day as he enters the kitchen. He sees the burnt meatloaf and does not all get angry but rather His Heart is touched. He saw how hard She worked to keep Him pleased. He took the meatloaf into the dining area and began to eat it in front of his new wife with a great smile and enjoyment. thus the two starting laughing about the situation and the wife's heart was set at ease.
TCK: My good friends, let us reflect that our intentions is what God is interested in. There is alot to do throughout our days in whatever state of duty God has called us to. Let us not be lax but not scrupulous. We are only human (last time I checked) and we will seemingly fail in some of our tasks. Do all with the intent of perfection but know you are not perfect. Every day we are "burning meatloafs" before Christ. In fact some of us may be starting fires in the kitchen everyday. Simply your lives if you are not getting to all your tasks. Know that Christ is "coming Home" everyday at 6, therefore, be ready and have your soul in order. Do not take your self so seriously if you are in the purification stage. Our Burnt meatloafs are painful whence presented to the Beloved but if Our Lord could turn water into wine than He can change a burnt meatloaf into a fully acceptable eating meal. Learn to laugh again; learn to smile for there will be many more burning meatloafs in our kitchen going forward.