Concussed and Consecrated

Since we first met, my wife Tricia has always been a much stronger prayer warrior than me. She’s the one who introduced me to the beauty of the Easter Vigil. She is constantly suggesting readings or reflections that might be good for me to read. At least once a week, she texts me a podcast or guided meditation. Through every up and down of the life we’ve shared over these past 20 years, Tricia is always the one to invite the Lord in first. About a month ago, she told me she was doing a 33-day consecration. I’ve heard of it, but to be honest, I had (and have) no idea what’s involved. And when she told me, I was not giving my fullest attention. As Tricia came closer to completing her 33-day journey, the road became a little bumpier. The children were acting up. Work was getting stressful. The two of us almost accidentally burnt the house down due to a miscommunication about a pizza in the oven. On the last day, Tricia half joked that the devil didn’t like that she was so close. She made a good confession, though even the confessor seemed to be a barrier.

Later, when I was finishing making dinner, I saw that Tricia was calling. I answered and someone named Erica told me my wife had been in a bad car accident. The kind woman told me Tricia was okay, but the car was totaled, the airbags went off, and the EMTs were with her. I shouted for an older child to take over and jetted out the door to get to the accident scene. As I drove to her tracked location, I seemed to get every red light, and my anxiety was rising. At some point, I slammed my hands on the steering wheel and thought to myself, “Some consecration. What good was it!” I was a little ashamed but mostly worried and frustrated. Finally, I was able to get to the scene. Tricia was sitting on the curb with an EMT, as an older woman sat next to her. After a visit to the ER, we were able to get home that night, and all the children were grateful to cuddle up with their concussed and consecrated mom.

The next day, Tricia was still pretty sore but felt able to go to church. We saw a friend doing the same consecration, and they both expressed gratitude for how the guardian angels clearly worked overtime. As I listened to them rejoice in God’s providence, my shame grew a little more. How often do I believe that a life in Christ should prevent me from all suffering? I wanted the consecration to be some type of magical forcefield – something to keep all the bad out. As usual, Tricia knew better. Prayer is not about keeping things out. Prayer is about keeping Him close. For Tricia, it wasn’t a wall or a fort, her time of prayer was a seatbelt, keeping her tethered to the Lord when the whiplash of the world threw in every different direction.

As we left church, I gave thanks to the Lord for His goodness and for my wife’s faithfulness. As we continue to make our way through life, let’s remind each other that, while we can’t control what comes our way, we can always choose to draw closer to the One who is the Way.