{"Having a two-year old is like having a blender that you don't have the top for." }
~ Jerry Seinfeld
~ Jerry Seinfeld
Last night, at the end of a long day, at 10:30pm, I began folding the last load of laundry for the day. It was my littlest one's. She's 5 and her clothes are still so small. It was taking me a long time to get through her basket of clean clothing (especially compared to folding adult laundry all day) when I piped up and stated to my husband, "I hate folding little kid clothing. It takes forever because everything is so tiny."
In that instant, the last 13 years flashed through my mind. I thought of when I was nursing a baby, and had 2 toddlers. I thought of the long cold winters and how I needed to bundle them all up in 3 layers, just to have them come in crying 10 minutes later because they fell in the snow and were cold. I thought of when I had my fourth and had four kids at home alone all day and night while my husband worked out-of-state. I thought of how after my third was born all three kids needed their nails cut, so dutifully and lovingly, I sat down on the floor and placed one child at a time on my lap. I began cutting nail after nail, tiny little fingers and toes. Nearing the end, in my postpartum blues stage, I just began to cry. Sixty.... yes, sixty little tiny pieces of nails lay all over my lap and the floor around me. Tears streamed down my face and I just lifted my face toward God and cried.
The tears were not tears of sadness, but tears of a very worn out mama. Tears of a mama who wanted just a little time alone and a little bit of "normalcy" back in her life.
{"There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep."}
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am nearing the end of these days. My youngest is 5 now. The big kids, they do their own laundry. They cut their own nails and dress themselves for snowboarding and ice skating. They clean up after themselves (although still not without being asked most of the time - let's be real!) and they take their own showers.
Then, this morning happened. Awake at 5:50am and finally crawling out of bed at 6:20 to have some quiet time with the Lord, I got all snuggled up on the couch with a warm blanket and my Bible. I had read through all of Psalm 75, which starts out with, "We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds." Yes, this morning I was giving thanks. I was warm and spending time with my heavenly Father.
Then I turned over to Romans. I love the book of Romans. In my Bible, it's completely written in, highlighted everywhere. It's worn and tattered. I love it. And, as I made my way to Romans chapters 13-16 I pondered how much I love Romans and how it brought comfort to me to see my relationship with God poured out on the pages of His Word. But as I was reflecting on my love for God and my relationship with him I heard the pitter-patter of little tiny feet. A tiny face pops around the corner and says, "Good morning mommy." in a sweet little voice.
{"In America, there are two classes of travel - first class, and with children."}
~ Robert Benchly
In that moment folding laundry and in that moment of interrupted quiet time with my Father, God's love for my children was so perfectly known to me. My love for my children was so perfectly known. I love these little people. My "perfect" life - that "always clean house", those "long uninterrupted quiet times with God", and that desire to want my life in "order" at all times will never (or at least not for a long time to come in some of those cases) exist, and that's okay! God has a much bigger plan and that plan involves those four little beings. That plan includes my life to be "interrupted" so that His will be done, not mine. My way is imperfect but His ways are always perfect.
Psalm 18:30, "As for God, His ways are perfect."
So to all you worn out mamas, take note: Those early days are hard, but they pass quickly. We were realizing our "baby" will be driving in 2 years! Where did that time go? Although the tasks in front of you may feel overwhelming and although your house may not be as it once was pre-kids, it will someday be empty and God gave me a glimpse of that reality while folding tiny socks and undies and meeting with Him the next morning.
These little people, they are God's gift to us! Children teach us to live spontaneously, worry less, when things go awry to laugh and move on. They teach us to love - unconditionally. Children teach us about our Creator, how He perfectly formed their tiny little bodies into miraculously working beings with capabilities far greater than anything else on earth!
So, my "perfect" life is messy and hard sometimes - I'm so thankful to Jesus for that!
What does all of this have to do with being Fully Surrendered? God was showing me when we fully surrender to the plan and will He has for us - being "messy" and loving on our little ones, even when it's hard and we're Oh. So. Tired. He will sustain us. He will give us a Word right when we need to hear it. He will have a friend call to ask how they can help - just when the time is right.
Be blessed and know, God has you right where He wants you!
{"A rose can say, "I love you",
Orchids can enthrall,
But a weed bouquet in a chubby fist,
Yes, that says it all."}
~ Author unknown
(To those struggling with infertility, please do not be offended. We walked that long hard road. It was awful and hard and horrible. 10 years, 7 miscarriages - I get it! I treasure my children - to pieces! Nonetheless, days can be tiresome and difficult. Think stomach bug times 4, 5, and 6!) ;-)
The tears were not tears of sadness, but tears of a very worn out mama. Tears of a mama who wanted just a little time alone and a little bit of "normalcy" back in her life.
{"There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep."}
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am nearing the end of these days. My youngest is 5 now. The big kids, they do their own laundry. They cut their own nails and dress themselves for snowboarding and ice skating. They clean up after themselves (although still not without being asked most of the time - let's be real!) and they take their own showers.
Then, this morning happened. Awake at 5:50am and finally crawling out of bed at 6:20 to have some quiet time with the Lord, I got all snuggled up on the couch with a warm blanket and my Bible. I had read through all of Psalm 75, which starts out with, "We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds." Yes, this morning I was giving thanks. I was warm and spending time with my heavenly Father.
Then I turned over to Romans. I love the book of Romans. In my Bible, it's completely written in, highlighted everywhere. It's worn and tattered. I love it. And, as I made my way to Romans chapters 13-16 I pondered how much I love Romans and how it brought comfort to me to see my relationship with God poured out on the pages of His Word. But as I was reflecting on my love for God and my relationship with him I heard the pitter-patter of little tiny feet. A tiny face pops around the corner and says, "Good morning mommy." in a sweet little voice.
{"In America, there are two classes of travel - first class, and with children."}
~ Robert Benchly
In that moment folding laundry and in that moment of interrupted quiet time with my Father, God's love for my children was so perfectly known to me. My love for my children was so perfectly known. I love these little people. My "perfect" life - that "always clean house", those "long uninterrupted quiet times with God", and that desire to want my life in "order" at all times will never (or at least not for a long time to come in some of those cases) exist, and that's okay! God has a much bigger plan and that plan involves those four little beings. That plan includes my life to be "interrupted" so that His will be done, not mine. My way is imperfect but His ways are always perfect.
Psalm 18:30, "As for God, His ways are perfect."
So to all you worn out mamas, take note: Those early days are hard, but they pass quickly. We were realizing our "baby" will be driving in 2 years! Where did that time go? Although the tasks in front of you may feel overwhelming and although your house may not be as it once was pre-kids, it will someday be empty and God gave me a glimpse of that reality while folding tiny socks and undies and meeting with Him the next morning.
These little people, they are God's gift to us! Children teach us to live spontaneously, worry less, when things go awry to laugh and move on. They teach us to love - unconditionally. Children teach us about our Creator, how He perfectly formed their tiny little bodies into miraculously working beings with capabilities far greater than anything else on earth!
So, my "perfect" life is messy and hard sometimes - I'm so thankful to Jesus for that!
What does all of this have to do with being Fully Surrendered? God was showing me when we fully surrender to the plan and will He has for us - being "messy" and loving on our little ones, even when it's hard and we're Oh. So. Tired. He will sustain us. He will give us a Word right when we need to hear it. He will have a friend call to ask how they can help - just when the time is right.
Be blessed and know, God has you right where He wants you!
{"A rose can say, "I love you",
Orchids can enthrall,
But a weed bouquet in a chubby fist,
Yes, that says it all."}
~ Author unknown
(To those struggling with infertility, please do not be offended. We walked that long hard road. It was awful and hard and horrible. 10 years, 7 miscarriages - I get it! I treasure my children - to pieces! Nonetheless, days can be tiresome and difficult. Think stomach bug times 4, 5, and 6!) ;-)
