“Have you ever heard the term ‘small potatoes’?” He asked, as I kneeled looking at the pretty lattice-work that parted us in the confessional. “Hmmm, I think so.” I was frozen with curiosity and hanging on his every word. “You know, it is like when something happens and you have to decide, is it a big deal or small potatoes. I recommend you make a list of the things in your life that bother you and circle at least three on the list, and tell yourself “Those are small potatoes” and decide that they will not bother you anymore.” Hmmmm….I got it. Kind of like the wonderful book “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff”. Great idea! I set to work on my small potatoes list during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. “Kids fighting. House a mess. Reliance on fast food…”

I keep a notebook for my hour with Jesus on Tuesday evenings at our parish Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Hours. I go through it each week and try to pray for everyone on the list, and I make marks when a situation has changed. Recently, three dear friends lost little ones before their time. These miscarriages read in my prayer book as “For a healthy pregnancy and delivery for….” and then, marked on the same line in a different ink with a new date a few weeks later, “For healing for…”. Another entry said “For …’s father who has cancer.” Then a few weeks later, “For healing of … in the loss of her father, and for his soul.” Some say things like “The child of …who is in the hospital with a brain tumor”, which seemed hopeless but then, “For thanksgiving for the miraculous healing of …’s child”. And also, “My friend who has a heart tumor and is undergoing open heart surgery tomorrow.” And finally, “Praise God! Thank you for healing my friend!” You may include in the list marriages reconciled, illness healed, and suffering alleviated.

Small potatoes? Well, I guess I have a twenty-pound bag of small potatoes, purchased without a coupon, or on sale, but with the price of a man’s life, who died for love of me, on a cross.