Encouragement through substitutions

Two days ago I tried my hand at a bread recipe. I didn't have evaporated milk though, and so I substituted Greek yogurt. I also wanted apple cinnamon bread, so I rolled out the dough and sprinkled my apples, cinnamon and brown sugar over it, rolled it up and put it in the bread pans. One of the loaves is already gone- eaten- which tells you how good it turned out! 

Sometimes I find I have to substitute things in life just as I had to substitute an ingredient in that recipe. We just bought a house in November. We held out for a house we could all move to. That is, my husband, our three kids, the dog, the cat, the guinea pig, and oh yeah, the three horses (we also got a puppy when we got settled!). There was no way to substitute a house with acreage, for a house in a town. So we improvised and found friends or neighbors who would let us board our horses at their house. Not ideal, but it was a good temporary substitution. 

When I try to find time to pray a rosary I find that often, I have to just say a decade. Again, that's not ideal, but if I'm able to say a whole rosary in the span of a day, I feel really accomplished for that day! Running around the house, going outside at least twice a day to care for the "big kids,"  as we call the horses, letting the dogs out and changing diapers, all take up much of my time these days! Prayer is often sporadic and half my attention is on the fact that I don't hear my two oldest girls (all moms know that usually means trouble!). But I'm encouraged by the words- "Preach the gospel at all times. when necessary, use words!" My actions can become a prayer in themselves when I'm doing what God has called me to do! Sometimes my words aren't sufficient anyway, because my mind is so preoccupied. I'm glad this substitution is still pleasing to Our Father in heaven!!

Substitutions in life are sometimes not ideal, but they can work out even better than expected in the end.

God Bless your Substitution!