The Padded Kneeler

Those of you who are Catholic are intimately familiar with the padded kneeler.  Growing up, my family attended church every Sunday.  At the time, I struggled to get out of mass what I get out of each service today.  In high school, it was a standing rule that anyone spending the night on Saturday night attended mass with us on Sunday morning.  My friends, most of whom were not Catholic, struggled through the sitting, standing, and kneeling of the mass, complaining it was hard to sleep through.   

Life is like that.  You stand tall when things are going well.  You sit when your sails are losing the wind that keeps you in motion, and when things are truly bad, your knees hit the padded kneeler.   At least I would like to think that life is like that for the majority of us.  I know some are habitual complainers and would rather sleep than engage and for whatever reason exists behind the behavior, I pray for them. 

Faith is a daily part of my life.  Because of faith, I strive to be a better person.  I want to always show tolerance toward people and situations that I don’t understand, to be kind in the face of adversity, and to love everyone in this hurting world around us.  I often fail in achieving these things because I get self-centered and momentarily become blind to the big picture.  I pray my spiritual life continues to grow and develop as walk my earthly walk.  My knees hit the padded kneeler often and I feel blessed, no matter the situation.    

If you are lost or hurting or lonely or sick and feel you’ve lost hope, you only need look up.  (The padded kneeler is an option should you want it.)   May you be blessed with God's unyielding love.