I wonder if, like me, you’ve ever felt like there were two people inside of you. There’s the “busy self” who does all the everyday stuff: working, shopping, running errands, cooking, cleaning, paying the bills, taking care of everyone…and the “quiet self” or some might call the “holy self” who is focused on quiet prayer, listening to God in the stillness, going on retreats…all those great things we’re encouraged to do but never seem to find the time for. And so we struggle with this feeling that when we’re dwelling in the “busy self” we’re not quite “holy.” We’re not measuring up to the ideal.

Well, I don’t believe God wants us to live in this fractured or compartmentalized way—when we’re praying, we’re praying…but when we’re working, we’re working. It doesn’t have to be that way. It’s entirely possible to encounter God, or spend time with Jesus, amidst the hustle and bustle of all we have to do. In the words of St. Theresa of Avila… “God is in the pots and pans.”  Continue reading →