With children three and four, a crying fit while running errands just doesn't phase me anymore. I get it. It's boring. We are inside (shopping none the less) on a great day for running, jumping, maybe even flying a kite if the wind picks up. We drove past the park twice before returning home, and even though we've already been out for our exercise with one on a bike and one in a stroller, errands just do not get any better.
But, we have to go out. Diapers are nill in the house and you know what that means: pin pricks and diaper dishtowels until we get some more. Not really, but this ideas from a friend of mine just took on a new twist....The Moo Through. If you're out of milk, drive right on through pick up a gallon. WITHOUT GETTING THE KIDS OUT OF THE CAR!! But with our stock of diapers plummeting, and planning ahead for all the fresh peaches that the baby has eaten just isn't possible, my husband has suggested The Moo and Poo Drive Through. Love it!
So, back to the crying fit. In this particular store I always seem to run into complete strangers with "words of wisdom." Granted, many are wise, and they actually are meaning well, but today the comment "It Only Gets Worse" as my one year old screams while I pay the cashier made me laugh out loud. Calmly retorting with a smile, "They all have their strengths," was my on the fly response. It really had me remembering about how things like this with children one and two would take me home in tears. I was overwhelmed. Days were difficult, running errands always took an hour longer than necessary because of our geographical location, I felt isolated some days, but too exhausted to reach out, I felt like a piece of myself was growing as a mom, but all the other pieces were dwindling. But it seems so long ago. It seems as though God carried me through those days swiftly, and now it is a bit hazy. So glad my husband remembers things and that we took a lot of pictures!
This time around, I am being intentional to slow down with my preschoolers, to listen and explore. With these two busy, sweet, crazy boys, it's a wonder anything gets done around our house but how I am enjoying the privilege of staying home with them! I miss my older girls at these stages, although am loving their inquisitive personalities and independence now. Every day is a gift with these four precious gifts--from spiders named "spiderman" kept in a jar, to races around the living room table, and any two items becoming a baseball and bat I'm soaking it up.
I am praying that God will make me thrive here, find contentment here, and be still here. This is ministry. The plethora of hats most of us want to wear, pale in comparison to the investment of little disciples God has placed in our lives. Knowing these days pass so quickly and the dirty floors can wait, I will slow down. I will praise God for the reward of offspring. How blessed to have a full quiver. And to the "wise" woman in the store: it doesn't get worse. I can praise God now for healthy kids who can cry. I can have joy in the now because I know the source of Joy. Jesus.
Psalm 127:3-4:
"Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like sparrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man who's quiver is full of them."
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