Marriage and family are many people’s vocations, but I’m here to tell you that as you’re waiting, it’s certainly not an excuse to do nothing for the Lord except pray and discern about your future desires coming to pass.
So many of us women have the desire to get married and have a family and we become incredibly fixated on that desire coming to fruition, so much so that our spiritual life becomes fixated on it. Some women spend all their time agonizing over their dating life, when their significant other is going to propose, what their wedding is going to look like, what house they’re going to buy, and how many kids they are going to have, and what their family is going to be like. They’ll pray often and discern their next steps, but meanwhile, they do very little to build up the kingdom of God in their waiting. Then, there are many other women who literally stop doing anything else once they get married and then have kids. They essentially forget about the Gospel!
It’s not supposed to be like this ladies, sorry to say. The Gospel imperative doesn’t stop as you wait. We’re meant to live the Gospel before the waiting, in the waiting, and after the dream comes to pass as Catholic Christian women. The Gospel is wider than our small worlds.
My beautiful friend reminded me recently that as Mary waited for Jesus to be born, she served Elizabeth charitably. She went out of her way to do things for others as she was carrying the King of the Universe.
My husband recently painted a lovely image of The Visitation for our entryway and my friend’s insight will forever be with me as my own story evolves. Even if and when the desire for a family comes to pass, it will remind me that God’s mission for me goes further than this marriage and family, and is meant to pour out to others. Charity won’t stop even as our empty bedrooms gradually get filled.
The Gospel imperative doesn’t stop as each of our desires get met.
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