- Today my two year old and I went out to the swimming pool in our backyard. We haven’t been out there in a while with the rain and cooler weather. It’s only been about a week since we last swam, but it seems that was enough time for the water to get cloudy. Sometime in this past week of idle use, it was neglected that the filter system was not working properly. The chlorine I had loaded in the filter was not being disseminated into the water, and therefore a stagnate mess awaited us. I glimpsed pieces of “I don’t know what,” algae maybe, floating in the water. After tinkering with the pump, and hopefully fixing it, I realized I needed to get in the water with the net and get busy cleaning it if we were going to be able to use it for the remainder of the summer. I also decided, that while I was getting in, there was no way I’d let Chloe get inside. This left a little girl in her swim suit standing on the sidelines, and very disappointed. It was at this point that I recalled the incredibly, nasty pond behind our house that I swam in as a child. It was a glorified mud hole really, originally dug by my grandpa for his cows to drink out of on a hot day. I smirked a bit at my protectiveness for my baby. I also winced.
- It occurs to me often, that what I have in mind for my children is different from the life I lived or even how I was raised. This is to say nothing negatively about my upbringing. I was indeed loved immensely, and can find no fault in that blessing. I think if we’re all honest, though, we’ll admit there are a few things, at least, that we plan on doing differently with our children. If this hasn’t occurred to you, then perhaps it should. Raising future generations is a mighty task. I am confronted with a world that is far different from the one I grew up in. Technology is just a scratch on the surface of how things have progressed. Ideals that once held importance, have taken a back burner on the stove top of life’s agenda. I see small children being taught that the brand of their clothing is far more important than remembering to say “yes ma’am”. I personally had a teacher that only responded to “yes ma’am” and if we neglected to use it, a wood paddle would find our behinds. I’m amazed that a seven year old has to be disappointed when they can’t have a closet full of Under Armour shirts. I am guilty of passing my child my phone to play with before taking her outside. Are you? What of chores? And I’m not talking about “clean your room or no allowance!” I’m talking about teaching responsibility, like, “if you want to be able to play, you have to feed the dog and do the dishes first.”
- My oldest child is only two, and I’m a little concerned. I don’t know all the answers. I’m just trying to figure out what happened. I can’t understand why I look at the world around me, and it seems to be falling apart. I actually cried today when I saw stories of my tax dollars funding the murder of innocent babies. I can’t understand why people can’t find employment, but we keep making programs to satisfy the jobless and keep them appeased. If you didn’t have assistance, would you try harder to find something? I’m just taking a shot in the dark here. Why are we not praying at school, but shooting in them? Since when is it common place to take the Lord’s name in vain on regular television that my kids can walk in on, but the same kid could get suspended from school for using any term that might offend someone’s sexual gender preference. What is going on when my small home town experiences a rape and shooting in a week’s time? Today I had to put a baby gate up to prevent my 8 month old from crawling into her sister’s room. It’s dangerous in there for a baby who puts everything in her mouth. The thing is, I can’t put up a gate from the world. It’s dangerous out there folks, and our kids are going to want to figuratively “put everything in their mouth.” It comes down to you and me, trying our best to raise up that next generation, but is our hardest even good enough? We can’t do it alone. It’s gotta be Christ-centered parenting, or we will fail. I’ll say that again. WE WILL FAIL. Today I cried to God, “Please forgive us Lord. Deliver us from evil. There’s still good folks here who love your ways!” A good friend told me earlier, “I think God will protect those who follow Him, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be without struggle in a Nation that has turned its back on Him.” I believe she’s right, and I take comfort in knowing He will protect my family as we follow Him. I can only pray for this Nation. Well, that, and prepare the next generation. How grand it would be to raise prayer warriors, Godly men and women, ready and eager to do battle for God’s will. How wonderful to raise a generation that will bring revival to our land. I cannot keep my child out of the murky water forever. She will eventually venture into the depths. My prayer is that I’ve helped prepare her, and her siblings, for the dangers seen and unseen, so they may hold firm in Jesus and emerge from this world victorious, and having left it better than when they came.
That is all 🙂
3 Facts for the Day (The Don’t Toil & Spin Edition)
- In the midst of a parental moment of frustration God humbled me. It’s like God affectionately said, “Whatcha talkin bout Willis?” It’s been coming for a while, but cumulated with the nighttime rush. Sometimes it seems like the bedtime routine is the equivalent of having your toenails removed one by one or sliding down a bannister made of razor blades into a wading pool of lemon juice. Painful, right? The moment I lay the baby flat on the changing table to put her sleeper on, she screams like I am breaking her tiny bones. She equates bath, lotion, and footsie pajama application with going to sleep. In my house of insomniac wannabes, this is simply torturous. The two year old loves a bath in the morning, but suggest one at night, and I might as well be suggesting we cover our feet with lighter fluid and put them near a flame. I’ve tried to explain that bath and pajamas doesn’t mean you have to go to bed yet! Here’s what she hears of that sentence: bed. So, needless to say, it’s painful. Why is it when the going gets tough, the tough gets going in my mind?
- I realize that I’ve been performing this weekly game of dread for some time now. I truly enjoy my time off with my children. Truth be told, I love it. If it were up to me, I would do nothing but take care of my kiddos and husband. Well, I’d probably write too. That seems to have found a place in my heart. But being a Mommy is where my heart thrives right now. For some reason, I began to dread the coming days when I would work. On a Wednesday, I would think, “It’s getting closer. It’s almost time.” It got so bad, that I was missing out on the joy of the moment. I was so busy dreading the future that I was unable to enjoy the now. I was fretting like a child, dreading my bedtime. I was so busy on my countdown of doom, that I couldn’t live my blog title. I was a hypocrite. I wasn’t “savoring the essence of life”. I was smothering the essence out of my life.
- So, why do we do this? Why do we inadvertently wish away the present while we’re dreading the future? Are you guilty of being unable to fully engage with your family on Sunday evening because your thoughts are on Monday morning? What about trying to rush through a block of time, longing for something better? I’ve known a couple of Moms lately who wished the summer away for some peace and quiet, but missed their babies an hour after they were out the door. Or do you rush through work, wishing the work week away? Maybe God has you there for a reason. I remember once as a kid we were on a family outing. I didn’t get my way about something. It was so mundane that I can’t even recall the specifics now. What I do know was that I pouted the rest of the day. There’s a picture that immortalized it for all time. My cousin and siblings are all grinning at the camera, but I’m looking down in imagined anguish. So what does my present attitude look like? Is my dread and unhappiness with the moment being forever remembered in the photo that is my child’s memory? What am I teaching them about perseverance, joy, and faith? How can I expect them to trust God in all circumstances and treasure each moment He gives, if I’m looking down in imagined anguish? I have heard a story about my Mom when she was a girl. Her and her sister would receive lollipops for a special treat. My Aunt would eat her lollipop quickly, worrying that her little sister would want a bite. My Mom would have no concern for anything other than her own treat. She would slowly lick, lick, lick, enjoying each prolonged flavor with no worry over how long the sucker would last or when she might get another. Guess who ended up the happiest? I guess sometimes it comes down to worry and anxiety. You’re unhappy with the way things are. You’ve prayed about it, so why hasn’t a resolution come yet? All you see is the unsatisfactory situation. You become anxious and discontent in the current circumstance. You worry what will come next, rather than embracing what’s right in front of you.
Matthew 6:28 (AMP)
And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.
I want to love the now, even the hard parts. I want to go to bed when I’m supposed to, without complaint. I don’t want my picture taken with a scowl on my face. I don’t want to toil and spin. I want to believe there’s a time for everything and a season for every activity. I don’t want to miss the joy because I’m weighted down by uncertainty. I want to lick and lick and lick, enjoying every flavor available for my palate.
That is all 🙂
3 Facts for the Day
- Today was a beautiful summer day in my opinion. We went swimming in our wading pool out in the back yard. It’s shallow enough so that Chloe can stand, but deep enough for Mommy to enjoy too. After a dose of sunscreen and putting on her hat, I placed Bailey in her Mickey Mouse float that also has a canopy to protect from the sun. Anything worth doing is worth doing well, right? She actually enjoys floating around, and will do so for as long as I let her. She likes for me to push her around and make motor boat sounds. Funny the things you do. Naturally, the two year old is always in mild jealousy mode. After a session around the pool in our little boat, I relaxed against the side. Chloe proceeded to go over to Bailey’s float and hastily bang the canopy shut and give it a not-too-friendly shove. I said, “Hey! You better not do that again or you’re getting out of the pool and sitting in the chair for 5 minutes. And 5 minutes is a long time for a little kid!” That’s the truth, isn’t it? Five minutes is an eternity when you’re two.
- Y’all know how my brain works. I immediately thought about God’s timing. When 5 minutes seems forever to a two year old, but is merely a minuscule moment in time for me; what of God’s timing? What about all that stuff I got on my mind? What about the dreams, goals, or fervent prayers I think on daily? I wait anxiously to see them fulfilled. It made me wonder; am I like an impatient two year old? Am I thinking hurry, hurry, and God is thinking, “it hasn’t even been 5 minutes yet kid!” Then it hit me. I reckon God has got me in a time out! I wondered why this hadn’t occurred to me yet. That got me to thinking “exactly what is a time out?” Well, usually you put a kid in time out for their own good, first off. They typically get a bit rambunctious and get a bright idea of doing something stupid. They think its a good idea, though. They may even feel like you’ll approve of it. You typically foresee someone getting hurt, or some other poor outcome, and intercede with a time out. What happens during time out? Well, the goal is that they’ll think about what they’ve done. Even if they just sit there fiddling with a loose thread on their clothes, at least, you can mostly count on them not doing it again. When they emerge from the 5 minutes of pure torture, they’re better than before. They’re more eager to listen and follow direction. I figured maybe God wants me to sit still and think about things. Before I can run off doing what I think is best, maybe I need to spend His 5 minutes learning from my mistakes. Maybe as I wait, I’ll grow from His instruction and come off the couch with better ears for His directions.
- When I think about waiting on promises, I think of Abraham. God told him that he would be a father of many nations. He couldn’t see how that could be with Sarah unable to produce a single heir. But God kept His promise. In his old age, he and Sarah had a son. I like a verse from Hebrews that speaks of this.
Hebrews 6:15
And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
Patiently it said. Oops. I would imagine I probably resemble my two year old in time out, fidgeting and crying, “Momma, can I get up yet?!” Today as I was thinking about all of this in the swimming pool, in the back of my mind I was thinking we might have to go in. There was a large gray cloud overhead. It had blocked the sun, and I wasn’t sure if swimming weather was in store for us. I began to watch the clouds and decided to wait. I watched as the gray cloud blew away. I watched in wonder as I glimpsed magnificent rays of sunshine burst through the cloud cover. The sun once again began to shine down on us, and we continued to swim. It reminded me of God’s timing and His promises. Before the brightest light is recognized, there are often shadows. It is after being in the gloom, that you can stretch out your arms and enjoy the warmth of brilliant sunshine on your skin. I reckon God may have me in a time out. How I deal with it is up to me. I will be still Lord. I will wait. Has God got you in a time out? How will you respond?
That is all 🙂
3 Facts for the Day
- I saw the line of cars initially. At first I hadn’t noticed them because I was fascinated by the lack of traffic at a major intersection on a Friday. Because of my initial lack of observation up ahead, it was too late to turn around. I could see the train chugging across the tracks, and realized the cause for stopped traffic. It was moving so slow! Dang! Train crossings usually only stop me when I’m running late for work. The reason it was a problem today could be explained by the whimpering from the backseat. The 6 month old had held on as long as she could. Towards the end of our shopping I had noticed her listing port side (leaning over to the left). She was ready for a nap, and any parent can tell you that a carseat for a sleepy baby can be your best friend or your worse enemy. When the vehicle is moving, you’re golden. If you’re at a standstill, it’s beyond bad. As I applied the brake and rolled to a stop behind a Lincoln Navigator, I readied myself for the ensuing cries of an exhausted infant.
- As expected, the girl babe didn’t take the scheduled stop well at all. She started slowly at first, but within 30 seconds, was at full volume, bellowing wails. I looked at the train. I tried, unsuccessfully, to block out the cries that were slowly stabbing into my brain like a dull ice pick. The high pitched shrieking was like a worm that had been placed in my ear canal and was burrowing its way inside to wreak havoc in my gray matter. I was trying to decide if I could somehow k-turn myself around and find a detour. Would it be worth it? There were trees all around the railroad crossing. If only I could see the end, and tell how much longer I had to wait!!
- I knew the train couldn’t be that long, and felt like I should indeed wait it out. Sure enough, within a minute or so, I saw the caboose. I readied myself with childlike excitement to press the gas. Come on people, go! I’ve got a crying baby! Before I was even a 1/4 mile past the tracks, she fell silent, lulled to sleep by the motion. Ben seems to think that when she cries good and hard before she is rocked, that she ends up falling asleep harder and more soundly. It certainly seems to be true. This morning, in my quiet time, I felt led to read 1 John 3:19-20
This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence. If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.
I liked how it set with me when I read it. Being at rest in His presence sounded really nice. I think God’s truth can be to us like a moving vehicle is to a baby. It’s so comforting that you immediately settle and your cries are no more. There are obstacles in your life, much like a railroad crossing, that will slow you down, and may even bring you to a complete halt. You’ll wonder where’s the end?! Should I turn around from the dream God has placed in my heart? This is too hard. Perhaps I should find a detour. I think if we can just wait in His truth and His promises, then I think we will eventually find that rest. It may even be that the wait, the trials, the hard tears we cry will cause us to rest even deeper in His presence. Our own hearts may condemn us, but He knows everything. What a reassurance that is, and what a fine rest you can find in His truth.
That is all 🙂
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