I Don’t Want You to Die, Mommie!

May 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

“Mommie, I don’t want you to die!”

That is what I woke up to this morning.  It was 6:05a and Pie*, my almost 4 year old was standing by my bed with quivering lips.  “Mommie, I would miss you so much.  Please don’t die.”  I pulled her up on the bed.  “What are you talking about, Sweetheart?  Did you have a bad dream?”

“I’d miss you so much.  I don’t want you to die.”  She put her still warm hands on my cheeks, her face was close enough to Eskimo kiss.  Her eyes were full of tears.

I started to tell her that I wasn’t going to die today.  I’m perfectly healthy, nothing remotely indicating that I’m anywhere near death.  Then I remembered the Bible study I’ve been doing for 7 weeks, Beth Moore’s Mercy Triumphs on the Book of James. (Absolutely amazing.  If you have the chance, do it!)

James 4:14-15 says, “ …whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’”  Even at 6:10a, I managed to have a shred of discernment and stopped myself from promising not to die today.

”I don’t think I’m going to die today, sweetheart.  But that doesn’t matter.  The great news is because we both love Jesus we will be together forever in heaven.  Forever.”

“I’m really going to miss you, Mommie.”

“We’re going to be together forever, my love.”

I held her precious warm body close to mine.  The truth is I didn’t know what would happen today.  Only God knew.

But it was a great reminder.

I didn’t mind the mess in the kitchen today.  I didn’t rush upstairs to workout but instead read to the girls and cuddled them close.  Instead of looking past them to concentrate on everything that I “had” to do, I looked past what I “had” to do and concentrated on the girls.

No, I didn’t think I was going to die today.  But it was a wonderful lesson to treasure the moments I would have otherwise let pass by.  We’re not promised time, but we have an opportunity to embrace and treasure the our families now.

I’m going to go kiss my babies…now.

 

We’ll be back to The Mommie Commandments next week. This was just too good to pass up.

* I keep my children’s names private. On the blog, I refer to my 5 ½ yr old as Boo and my almost 4 yr old as Pie.

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Filed Under: Mommie Help, Priorities, Stress, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Not the Holy Option: MC#3

April 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s the forgotten commandment.  I’m down with “Do not murder”, “Do not lie”, “Do not steal”. Every now and then I have to remind myself not to covet my neighbor’s stuff or circumstance (I am so blessed!). There’s just that one little commandment that I don’t keep. If I think about it, I am kind of surprised that it’s listed with the “big” ones like murder, stealing and worship.  Can you guess what it is?

“You shall keep holy the Sabbath.  On 6 days you shall labor, but on the 7th you shall rest.  You shall do no work….”

What?!

Do you know I’m a mom?  Is that possible?  A day of rest?  Sounds quite glorious, actually.

In the first years of our marriage, Sundays would find James relaxing on the couch and Michele running around doing laundry, cooking, making lists, cleaning, organizing… whatever I could to “get things done”.  He would look at me and say, “Would you please sit down and relax?”

“Easy for him to say!”  I would think.  “Who is going to do the laundry, grocery shopping, cooking… I have to do these things!”    Yes, I would “get things done” but then be a nervous wreck at the end of the day, frustrated and overwhelmed that Monday was a few hours away. Back to the rat race…

We all need rest.  God Himself set the example in Genesis when He worked for 6 days then rested on the 7th.  He designed us in such a way that we need rest.  And obviously, some of us need to be told to rest (if the shoe fits…).

Yes, as moms we have responsibilities we cannot shirk. You cannot ignore your children or let them go hungry.  But you also don’t have to fix a 5 course meal every day or spend your Sunday wiping base boards.  If they’ve waited this long,  they can wait another day.

What I’m saying is this:  Mommie, find ways to rest.  Look at your calender, see what you can do to free up a day to enjoy your family.  Ask for help.  Plan, cook before hand or have cereal for dinner.  Take off the guilt of false responsibility and take a Sabbath.  God knows you need it. I need it.  If I want Mommie Monster to stay away, I better make time to rest.  My family will thank me for it.

Remember, keeping a Sabbath is not a holy option, it’s a commandment.

 Mommie Commandment #3

You shall make time to rest (Yes, Mommie needs to rest!).

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11

 

 

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Filed Under: Mommie Commandments, Rest, Stress Tagged With: , , , , ,

No Thanks for Oatmeal

March 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Do you ever feel like you are doing same things, over and over, hardly noticed, hardly appreciated?  Endless loads of laundry (how much laundry can little people make?), meals cooked, rugs vacuumed, sippy cups refilled, diapers changed, kids chauffeured around all day long…

I’ve realized I can do just about anything if I’m thanked and appreciated.  I love encouragement. I love to give it and receive it.  Words of encouragement are one of my top love languages.  The little girl in me wants to be told I’m doing a great job.

That’s one of the challenges of mommiehood – most of what I do is hidden or not recognized.  When was the last time I was thanked for changing the third poop of the day or giving kids another bath?  What about the time spent nursing and pumping? Or thinking, planning, making a healthy meal? The kids don’t run up to me and say, “Thanks so much for making healthy oatmeal for me this morning, Mom.  You do such a good job of making sure I get the vitamins and nutrients I need.”  Not so much.  It’s more like this: “I don’t want oatmeal! I want Fruit Loops!”

Likewise, many husbands don’t get it.  “What did you do today?  You got together with Nicole, what did you talk about?”  They don’t exactly realize what we’re busy or consumed with during the day besides being with the kids.  I love my husband dearly, but most of the time he doesn’t notice the vacuumed rug or the clean socks in his drawer every week. (To be fair, I don’t notice the bills paid on time each week and the gutters cleaned each season.   I don’t run to him saying, “Thanks for going to work each day, honey.”  Maybe it’s time to start.)

I thrive on encouragement and there is little of it when you are a mom.  But there is One who notices, Mommie. And if I take time to listen, He is encouraging me, cheering me and loving me in the doing. Read His words with me:

“Trust in the Lord and do good.” Mommie, you are doing good! Keep taking great care of your family!  (Psalm 37:3a)

“Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.”  I am faithful to you, Mommie. You are being faithful in the doing: laundry, picking up toys and dishes.  Know that you will be rewarded (Psalm 37:3b, Galatians 5:7).

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things.  I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your Lord.”  (Matthew 25:20)

Can you hear Him, Mommie?  “Well done, Mommie. I see you and everything you do – from driving carpools to wiping behinds.  You are being faithful.  You are doing good, not just for your family, but for Me.  I love you.”

I love you, too Lord.  Thanks.  I needed that.

 

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Filed Under: Mommie Jobs, Mommie Strength, Routines Tagged With: , , , ,

A Mommie Time-Out

March 18, 2012 By 1 Comment

I love my children. Really, I do. So why do I want to hide? Everything started out fine. The cutie-pies crawled into bed with me this morning and we had precious snuggle time. I absolutely love the moments when their bodies are still warm, cheeks still rosy and we cuddle with no concern for anything except being close and comfy. I love that! They are so delicious!

It was all wonderful… until we got out of bed. By 7:30, my beautiful girls were fighting over who knows what. Because they had stayed up too late, they were cranky, whiny and loud- my favorite combination. I managed to not completely loose it, muttering under my breath, “Help me, Jesus!” But the downward spiral had begun.

Every little thing began to get under my skin. James was late getting home, the little one was devastated because the beads came off the necklace she cut (shocker!), the older one wanted the keys the little one was playing with…. cry, whine, cry, whine. Can I just crawl back into bed? Please?

My emotions were just fried. I felt like any little thing had the potential to set me off. I went to my husband for a hug. “What’s wrong?” “I just need a hug.” “Is it that time of the month?” he asks nicely? Am I the only one who despises that question? So what if it is?!?! What’s your point? My poor husband.

Honestly, I never knew I had so much anger and crud inside me until I had kids. Ahhh… the sanctification process. My old pastor’s wife used to tell me that it was a good sign that crud was coming out because it was making room for God to pour in His love. Well, apparently I have a lot of room now. I certainly need God’s love. A lot of it.

Having children has taught me so much. I’m not as good as I thought I was. Not as patient, loving or kind. I need Him so much. Every hour, every moment apparently because my love runs out before I get out of bed. Strong, right? The good news is that His love never fails. His patience never wares thin. More good news? He has given me everything I need for godliness. And more? I can take His nature instead of mine. Everyone in my home will appreciate that.

The catch? I have to act. I need to take. He’s done His part and now I have to do mine. I need to know and stand on His promises, and allow His Word to change me. I need to know and thank Him that His divine power has given me everything that pertains to life and godliness. I need to receive His love so I can give what my family really needs; a love that will never fail. His love. If that means every five minutes asking Him for help or standing on His promises, so be it. The best news, He’s waiting and willing.

A friend of mine told me a story of a woman who would climb in her child’s pack and play when she felt like she was going to explode. With her Bible in hand, she would read, pray and have Jesus time even if it was 10 or 15 minutes. It didn’t take long for her children to know that was a good thing. In time, they would lovingly suggest she go into the pack and play for Jesus time. In went mommie monster, out came loving, peaceful, transformed mommie.

Take your time-out, Mommie. I certainly am.

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”  2 Peter 1:2-4 (italics added)

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Filed Under: Emotions, Intentional Living, Mommie Guilt, Mommie Help, Mommie Strength, Rest, Survival Mode, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,
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