A TYPICAL SCHOOL MORNING AT OUR HOUSE GOES SMOOTHLY TILL EVERYTHING FALLS APART. WHEN IT'S ABOUT TIME TO LEAVE, I GO THROUGH THIS CHECKLIST OUT LOUD WITH MY THREE KIDS. IT'S LIKE, "DO YOU HAVE YOUR LUNCH?
"DO YOU HAVE YOUR WATER BOTTLE? HOW ABOUT YOUR HOMEWORK? "DID YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH?
" USUALLY THE ANSWER'S NO. AS THE LIST KEEPS GOING, THEY START SCRAMBLING AND STRESS RISES. IN THE BIG PICTURE, I LOVE MY KIDS, BUT SOMETIMES IN EVERYDAY LIFE THE BLESSING OF WHO THEY ARE GETS LOST IN THE STRESS THAT THEY PRODUCE BECAUSE LET'S BE REAL, THEY CAN BE LITTLE SINFUL STINKERS!
WELL, LET'S BE HONEST, MY EXPECTATIONS AND NEED FOR CONTROL RESULT IN THAT STRESS JUST AS MUCH, ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON WHEN EVERYTHING IS TURNED UP TO ELEVEN. LIKE WHEN THEY CAN'T SIT STILL AND QUIET FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF AT CHURCH, I GET FRUSTRATED. OKAY, LIKE, SUPER FRUSTRATED, LIKE, "ALL YOU'RE GETTING THIS YEAR "IS COAL IN YOUR STOCKING" FRUSTRATED.
OR WHEN THEY FIGHT OVER TOYS AT GRANDMA'S HOUSE, I GET IMPATIENT. WHEN THEIR BEHAVIOR PLUMMETS SO DOES MY MOOD. BUT AS I REMEMBER HOW THE HEAVENLY FATHER LOVED ME AND PURSUED ME DESPITE MY BIGGEST FAULTS, IT HELPS ME LOOK AT MY IMPERFECT KIDS WITH GRACE, THE SAME UNMERITED GRACE THAT I SO DESPERATELY NEED.
ONE PSALMIST REMINDED US THAT, "CHILDREN ARE A HERITAGE FROM THE LORD, "THE FRUIT OF THE WOMB, A REWARD. " MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE GRIEVED LOST BABIES, AND WE WAITED YEARS FOR OUR DAUGHTER. HEARING HER HEARTBEAT WAS ONE OF THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF MY LIFE.
AND NOW SHE'S OUR SPUNKIEST KID WHO DEFINITELY PUSHES MY INSANITY BUTTON SOMETIMES. BUT SOMETIMES, INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT HER SQUIGGLING IN CHURCH, OR NEEDING THREE TUCK INS ON CHRISTMAS EVE, I'M GOING TO FIX MY HEART THIS YEAR ON WHAT A GIFT SHE AND MY SONS ARE, THAT THEY ARE AN UNMERITED GRACE AND A BLESSING TO ME FROM THE LORD, AND THE MORE I CONCENTRATE ON THAT THE MORE I AM ABLE TO BLESS THEM AND SHOW THEM WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SERVANT, EVEN IF THEIR LITTLE MINDS DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND IT. I HOPE THIS SEASON THAT YOU ALSO CAN LEAVE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS BEHIND AND FOCUS DAILY ON THOSE JOYFUL MOMENTS CHILDREN BRING, AND JUST BEING THE BLESSING GOD CREATED THEM TO BE.
