I’ve never heard either of my parents swear, but I have many memories of my mom, frustrated with a task, saying “I’m gonna swear. I’m gonna swear! Close your ears kids!” She never did, but she threatened to. A lot.
There are some things that tempt a person to swear more than others. For me, the job of untangling Christmas lights brings out the worst in me. I spent hours doing it this weekend, growling under my breath:
“I’m sure this must be a job people have to do in Hell.”
“If God really loved me I’d be rich enough to buy new lights every year.”
I was muttering, and resenting my husband who was off doing “spiritual” things, having “spiritual” conversations with colleagues, while I was relegated to “unspiritual” homey decorating chores.
As I glared and growled, and pulled and unknotted, and muttered some more I got to thinking about Mary (who had no lights to untangle btw) and how spiritual she felt during the 9 months that Jesus was being formed in her. Continue reading
