Making God Laugh

During my undergrad days I had a friend who often made the following remark, "If you want to make God laugh, then tell him your plans." This was particularly accurate for him, as he seemed to have a number of plans that didn't work out for him. In a different way I think it's also a good reminder for parents. Marriage and parenthood are filled with many frustrating and delightful twists and turns, and I often see God laughing at us as we'd laugh with delight at a child who's excited to climb the stairs. His eyes wide with wonder and excitement, but as his mother or father you imagine his future and see him running wild, playing football with his friends. You delight at his joy and think "You will do greater than this someday," knowing full well that he'll fall down the steps a few times before he reaches that day.

During Mother's day weekend Mrs. Pickles and I had plans. I wanted Mrs. P to take the day off and rest, pray, and then do all of the patient and time-heavy shopping she typically can't do with three children in tow who are complaining about being bored and hungry about 5 minutes after walking through the store's front doors. She would be queen during the weekend, and she had power to set her own schedule and spend whatever time she wanted on whatever she wanted. After some morning yard work, I had plans to take the little pickles on a bike ride. It was going to be a gorgeous day, and now that Joseph can fit in the bike trailer we can go on family bike rides again. While Mrs. P was out searching for fabrics and buying new clothes, I would be out in the sun, playing at a park, and then on to the local McDonalds for lunch and ice cream. We had plans, and they were good..

And then life intervened. We awoke at 5 a.m. to Joseph yelling at us. I took him downstairs so that my wife could sleep, but less than 5 minutes later Miriam was going about the house like Paul Revere telling everybody that poor Katie had thrown up on her pillow. I was still dazed and confused while I tried to attend to Joseph, but Mrs. P was up and a ready woman of action--cleaning up the messy bed and a messy girl.

I eventually got Joseph back to bed and tried to sleep with him, and Mrs. P spent the morning hours comforting a little girl with the dry heaves. Miriam spent the morning trying to make toys for Katie and cheer her up.

Katie felt better by mid-morning (she had the energy to whine), but we didn't want to let her outside and in public until we knew she was better (i.e., able to eat food). Since I had to do yard work, Mrs. P stayed home to take care of Katie. With the additional time I also tended to the lawns of two neighbors--one with a bad knee and the other with a bad back and heart. Both of them were very appreciative.

As you can see, the day did not go as planned. Mrs. P didn't get her planned day as queen, but from 5 a.m. on she choose to be a different kind of queen. Instead of a day devoted to her, she choose a day of service--works of mercy and acts of charity to her "subjects." Her queenship was more like the queenship of St. Elizabeth of Hungary or Our Lady--humble love and strength in action. It's part of the queenship to which each mother is called, so there was a fitting drama to all of this ocurring on that weekend.

We started the day with plans, but God laughed and gave us different plans--plans to help us grow and change us "from glory into glory." Someday we will look back on that day, and we'll laugh with Him too.