I always struggled with that word: lavished. I associated the word lavish with wealth and abundance. Growing up we were seldom lavished in monetary wealth, or material possessions. Yet, as I have grown, I have come to see how I was lavished on. Besides the obvious, a roof over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our back, and an allowance when we were young; we were lavished with gifts of shared experiences. Our lives were lavished with unending family experiences, core, and extended members! There were lavishing meals of Italian foods, homemade pasta and cannoli and cookies! 

We were lavished in ways of learning the necessary (domestic) survival skills. My sister, because she drove along a country highway, to get to work every day was taught how to remove a flat tire and put on the spare! My older brothers were brought to work in the mills during their high school summers, a means by which they quickly learned their life beyond high school would not be in the mills, but in college classrooms. And me, I was lavished with a sense of curiosity and adventure. Even to this day, and sometimes despite gas prices; if there are multiple routes to the same destination, I will drive them both just to see and learn new ways of getting there!

Our responsibility as children of God is an invitation to recognize the ways in which we are lavished upon. Because that is what we are!

Prayer: We are blessed. In times of doubt, in times of certainty, with hope and in despair; your lavishing love pours out upon us.  We take rest in knowing that we are your beloved children. Amen.