Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

I was going to make 300 meatballs for Norah’s baptism party this past Saturday. In my intentional domestic leadership, I thought the father of four little ones should try to hand make meatballs for 80 people. I was quickly and justly vetoed. Prior to the veto, however, I had become obsessed with the meatball planning – defining roles for the grandmothers, crowd sourcing meat estimates on Facebook, and yelling at the children regarding the endless crockpots throughout our kitchen. The veto finally came when my better half realized I had lost site of the real main course. I don’t know about you, but in life and ministry, I can easily fall into the trap of allowing the tactical to overshadow the relational. If I am fulfilling my call as a Catholic leader (and dad), I must prioritize my link as a part of that "unbroken chain of witnesses." Is the path that I set for Norah and those I lead made with Italian breadcrumbs or the durable moments of encounter I create? Honestly, hand making the meatballs seems like a much easier task. Thankfully, I am blessed with a very strong chain to pull me forward in faith.　 PS …With faith (and meatballs), all I can say is thank God for moms and mothers-in-law!