Another from the archives...this was written in a long ago spring, almost nine years ago. My four year old little man is now thirteen and as tall as me; my 16 month old baby princess just turned ten years old. Another little boy, now six years old and as charming as they come, has been added to the mix. My house still is not quiet until the children are in bed. And some days i still do not enjoy them as i should. But i have learned, over the years, how quickly these years do pass. And what a blessing they have been.
Bless my Blessings
The
house is quiet. In the house, the
dishwasher is running; outside, twilight is falling. I hear the evening noises through the open windows and a few
stray cars pass, and some truckers who never seem to sleep when the rest of the
world does.
I
picked up enough of the mess (the one that follows my 16 month old baby
princess) so that I will not trip over it when I come downstairs in the
morning. (There is not much that is
more depressing than to wake up to a mess in the morning.) I picked up soggy, muddy clothes from my 4
year old little man who splashed, and splashed in the mud with such glee. (Until the inevitable mud in the eyes, of
course.)
Tonight
I was a woman on a mission. My goal was
to get my flower bed completely weeded before coming in to put my little angels
in bed. I was interrupted with a few
minor things like the aforesaid mud in the eyes, and detouring a baby princess
from things that might get her into trouble.
And then, as I admired my handiwork, and picked up the chaos that followed
my two darlings’ day, I realized that I watched them without truly enjoying
them tonight.
Oh,
I know that sometimes work just has to get done. But tonight I could have worked and still enjoyed them just a
little more. I refuse to take myself on
a guilt trip, but Lord, could you give me a more grateful heart tomorrow? Keep my voice from being sharp. Help me to be consistent with their
discipline, so that they know their boundaries are the same no matter what mood
Mama is in. Keep me from being annoyed
when they are childish, because they are children. Help me to teach them to be pleasant, and keep them from being
brats. Help me to make the best use of
my time, and to honor You and my family with everything I say and do. Help me to be satisfied with my sometimes
messy, sometimes dirty, house that is mostly decorated to my budget rather than
my taste. Fill my cup full of love and
help me to embrace the life that You have given me.
Thank
You for little warm wiggly bodies to cuddle.
Thank You for a little boy who climbs into bed with me and takes all the
covers. Thank You for books, and books,
and books that we read—simple stories about fuzzy ducklings for a little girl;
more grown-up stories about losing teeth, and appendixes, and Curious George
for a little boy who often has more curiosity than he knows what to do
with. Thank You for rain, and puddles,
and the smell of crushed lavender when a baby princess tries to help me weed my
flowers. Help me remember to savor the
sweetness of life, and to find pleasure in all the little things. Please bless my little blessings tonight!
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