Mommy Moments #1

Out of all the hard work we put into training up our children in the way they should go, it's nice to see when they actually have heard the lessons we have taught them.


Some of you sane moms have carefully planned out your children's activities to fit within your schedule. I, on the other hand, have to admit that I tend to fall into that overcommitment category. I have my son's activities and mine... seem to fall somewhere in between, putting me always on the go.


Last week, we were returning home from one of my son's activities. After a long evening of my son's choir practice, church and my choir practice, we arrived back at the house around 9:00 p.m. I knew that once I opened the car doors, that it would not be the end to the mad late night rush before putting the kids down for bed. Once the car door opened, my son jumped out leaving me to carry what remained in the car. Before I could ask for his help, he looked at me and spoke with the sweetest voice, "Mom, I know what else I want for Christmas!" At this point, I was thinking how his list has grown from a full year's requests. As I carried multiple bags and balanced my youngest son on my hip toward the house, I sarcastically answered, "What?" He looked at me with those innocent, sincere eyes and calmly said, "I want a new heart for Christmas, so God can make it clean!" 


I tried to do all I could to stop from crying. Then I remembered the scripture Psalm 51 where David asks God to give him a clean heart. The story is to help us be aware and mindful of our sinful heart so we can see our need for Jesus. 


I put everything down, including my little boy who was beginning to become restless, looked into my son's eyes and said, "You don't need a new heart son. When you asked Jesus into your heart, you asked Him to clean it out for you so He could move in," I said to him smiling. "In Psalm 51:13-15, David is so happy to have his heart washed clean of his sin that he burst into praise to God. A person with a clean heart cannot help but praise the Lord for their salvation. You have repented, trusted in God for a clean heart, so now you can be thankful and sing your praises to God, like in your choir." He looked at me and said, "Oh yeah!" I then gave him a big hug and kissed him on his head. He hugged me back, gave me a big smile and ran inside. 


It was at that moment that God reminded me of how important my influences are to my children. These are the teachable moments when our children really depend on our direction and our teachings. Learn to recognize your children's teachable moments so we can "train them in the way they should go."

A lesson of waiting...

Why is waiting the most impossible and hardest thing for us to learn. We tell our children in the drive thru that we must wait until it's our turn to pick up our food. "Be patient," we say over and over. But when it comes to being an adult, waiting becomes harder for us too. Like waiting at the bank to make a deposit before that unannounced check goes through from the last minute school fundraiser or the "big one"...waiting on God to reveal an answer or new direction in our lives.


It has been nearly three months since my husband and I have been separated by miles. We moved from Florida a year and a half ago due to a hard hit of job loss. We both searched for six months, but were unsuccessful. Wouldn't you know that the only opportunity that arose for him was back in Florida...490 miles away, Ugh! We agreed to wait until we knew it was the right move before taking the next step in moving our family once again. Every opportunity we had, we would take turns making the long drive to spend only a couple of hours together before heading back to our hectic schedules. As the weeks went by, the time between our visits stretched from every week to every three weeks. We spoke multiple times daily, texted, emailed and even FB as much as possible to keep each other afloat during our separation. Let's face it, we were tired of the separation...the waiting of what would happen next.


It's amazing how we adjust to circumstances that arise in our day to day lives. I guess it's true that God doesn't give us more than we can handle, but, oh, how we long for the answers and the end to our waiting. Isaiah 40:31 says that "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." I think it is important as a mother that we cannot always be in control of every situation and that we have to trust in God to direct our path, guide us through our storms and bring us into another season.


Sometimes we're so glamorized by the glint and gleam of the one thing we want right now that we're not willing to wait and trust God for the something better He planned for us down the line. I don't know how long my husband and I will be apart in miles, but I do know that I can find my hope and strength in God while I wait and trust that He will direct our paths.


Remember that "your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:32-34