A Year of Practice - 2024
A memoir by Melissa Michalek
This year began in a typical manner, with a busy schedule filling the new calendar, uncertainty about employment, and sluggish bodies. I am sure this sounds familiar to many. I asked God what word or virtue He had for me to focus on this year. Expecting something big, like Miracle, Provide or Evangelization. In my soul, I heard a quiet but stern phrase that I should put into “Practice” all I’ve learned this past decade. At first, I was oddly disappointed thinking it was a setback. Did I not master all the virtues of years before? Yes, I laugh about it now, but I thought it was time to take my knowledge to make my Homegrown Catholics ministry & shop finally become financially substantial. I have a lot of ideas I want to share. I saw others doing well with similar things. I really wanted get to work on becoming who God needs me to be, thinking this as if I hadn’t been, or rather, where I thought I would be by now. How silly I was to momentarily forget His ways are not my ways. He was answering my prayers, but not as anticipated. I wasn't sure how to feel about it.
Growing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially humility, mercy, charity, prudence, and complete surrender, is something we will all work on our entire lives. It has been a blessing to have the support of so many friends and my family who exemplify many virtues, or who give me a chance to practice mine. No more procrastinating, excuses or distractions! This is the year I do all the things! Well, not right away.... Looking back, that’s a bigger task than what I asked for and took it took the first half of the year to figure out what changes were necessary. The first step was to pray and be at peace about whatever God brings to my day. To never be upset when the day changes and we don’t get everything done. To take notice of the interruptions as a chance to connect deeper with someone and be Christ to them. Complete surrender to whatever happens, and submit to the move of the Holy Spirit within me. For this I am still wanting, and in constant practice.
Last October, Tom was injured on the job and has been on leave to heal ever since with weekly therapy. At first there wasn’t much progress. He had taken on teaching Noah his Kindergarten, volunteering more at church, and doing some side tasks. To be honest, I feel this was an answer to my prayers to find a way for him to be home to help me in my efforts. He has also had more opportunities to help others. He is required to look for work, but so far it seems God wants him occupied elsewhere. He discerned to become a Mass Coordinator, then recently he was asked to be an Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Eucharist primarily to bring Jesus to the homebound. I couldn’t be more honored to have a husband who uses his time (a temporary retirement) to serve God and others. You’d think Tom being home would mean we’d have a better handle on life, but truly God is really showing us that life is more interesting when living moment to moment in complete, glorious chaos.
This year began in a typical manner, with a busy schedule filling the new calendar, uncertainty about employment, and sluggish bodies. I am sure this sounds familiar to many. I asked God what word or virtue He had for me to focus on this year. Expecting something big, like Miracle, Provide or Evangelization. In my soul, I heard a quiet but stern phrase that I should put into “Practice” all I’ve learned this past decade. At first, I was oddly disappointed thinking it was a setback. Did I not master all the virtues of years before? Yes, I laugh about it now, but I thought it was time to take my knowledge to make my Homegrown Catholics ministry & shop finally become financially substantial. I have a lot of ideas I want to share. I saw others doing well with similar things. I really wanted get to work on becoming who God needs me to be, thinking this as if I hadn’t been, or rather, where I thought I would be by now. How silly I was to momentarily forget His ways are not my ways. He was answering my prayers, but not as anticipated. I wasn't sure how to feel about it.
Last October, Tom was injured on the job and has been on leave to heal ever since with weekly therapy. At first there wasn’t much progress. He had taken on teaching Noah his Kindergarten, volunteering more at church, and doing some side tasks. To be honest, I feel this was an answer to my prayers to find a way for him to be home to help me in my efforts. He has also had more opportunities to help others. He is required to look for work, but so far it seems God wants him occupied elsewhere. He discerned to become a Mass Coordinator, then recently he was asked to be an Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Eucharist primarily to bring Jesus to the homebound. I couldn’t be more honored to have a husband who uses his time (a temporary retirement) to serve God and others. You’d think Tom being home would mean we’d have a better handle on life, but truly God is really showing us that life is more interesting when living moment to moment in complete, glorious chaos.
By the time spring came, we were absolutely worn out. I hadn't made a lot of changes yet. I was so ill, I couldn’t function. Everything hurt, I couldn’t think well, I was sleeping a lot, there were many issues that had me very worried. The whole family was running on empty and very unwell. We decided we had enough of the back and forth health battle and begged God to show us how to heal. Tom and I took our first flight together for an Anniversary trip to Florida. We utilized the time to refresh, soak in the sun, and begin a fresh routine of eating well, going on walks, and taking everything to prayer. My guardian angel nudged me into a pool of information that connected all the study and trials I had done for myself over 25 years. Thus, we began eating a ketogenic/carnivore diet, paleo for the littles. Our whole family is healing! Right away we saw the benefits of an energy surge, clarity of thought, internal healing, joint pain and inflammation gone, depression and anxiety gone, clearer skin, better sleep and alert and ambitious to the needs of the day. Tom’s injury pain is lessened and actually he’s getting better because of this change. A great lesson in prudence, the value of self-control, and being attentive to God's voice. Once we submitted to this simple change, it made all of us more capable of participating in God’s plan.
Homeschooling is still challenging, but now I’m able to handle it. Our children are more alert and engaged. We also have a new driver, Sabrina, to get them to all the events, leaving us parents time to relax, or get more done. We even allowed our oldest at home, Stanley, to leave his job to focus on restoring his health and create a better career path plan. We take things as they come, and allow ourselves to be swept off to another adventure or work of service. My heart still has sorrows and concerns, but I leave them at the foot of the Cross and say "Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I surrender all to You. You take care of everything." And he does. And I find peace that surpasses all understanding. God reminds me with every difficulty, how he understands and how I know Him better by it.
I was honored to give a presentation to moms at church about Living Liturgically. I then knew in my heart it was no longer something I wanted to pursue as a business. I wasn't meant to. I prepared everything for a second talk, which I had to surrender it all to a friend to present (thank you dear) while we attended a funeral. It was a big ah-ha moment of why I do what I do > because it’s for God’s glory. It’s not about me and what I can do. It's about what he's doing through me. It’s taken me decades to realize what that really means, that deeper sense of humility. That I matter so very very much to God, but people don't need me - they need God. (John 3:30) They need his ways to be their ways. He's shown me this in other ways too. Trusting in, surrendering to, submitting to God; these lessons He’s taught me are how each of us can choose to bring Peace on Earth and His will be done in our little hearts.
So here I am looking back upon this past year, and realizing God really did do amazing things with my life, simpler but better than I had planned for myself. In the midst of ordinary days, God showed me the miracle I hoped for in my healing, but not without effort on my part. God showed me that he provides, and our every need was met. He’s been so generous, so that we can be also. God showed me that I can evangelize by simply living a holy life at home and wherever I am. He brought us into a wealth of friendships that enrich and encourage our journey. He’s been there through all the sickness and health, the poor and the well off months, and when we were better versions of ourselves or worse than we should’ve been. He brought us through all of it. Our marriage covenant is between God, Tom and I. God has kept his promises, and I feel capable of doing my part when I better realize what that is.
"My faith doesn't make things easier, but it makes them possible."
In this season of Hope, I really feel hopeful. My hope for others is that their souls are open to healing, more importantly than their bodies. Everyone so desperately needs to forgive and be merciful, a first step to healing. Then practice, practice, practice virtue. Make good choices, following the spiritual nudges and whispers. Love until it hurts. Give it all to God. I pray every day that my children know how much I love them, cherish them, and am here to encourage and gently guide them towards Truth and Love. I want them to know I do this because of God's love and mercy towards me. My God is so generous, and he wants you to know, love and serve Him with a joyful heart. May the Hope, Peace, Joy and Love of God in this season overwhelm you.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love,
Melissa
We have been so blessed with a busy and fruitful year. Thanks to God's abundance of grace, we've had so many wonderful activities to attend as a family and with friends. If you're at all interested in catching up on the fun we've had in brief, you can see more about our 2024 activities on the next post. https://stbrigidsacademy.blogspot.com/2024/12/2024-family-adventures.html
You'll find more photos and fun ideas for your family if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, and check out our Homegrown Catholics Blog! Find all the links here: https://bit.ly/m/homegrowncatholics
