A Hug from God
There are days when I am so weary of hearing the kids bicker and assert their rights over their siblings. It's hard to protect your personal space in a large family, and we experience a fair amount of growing pains. But then, just when I am questioning my own sanity in this pursuit of home life and homeschooling and mothering, God reaches down and gives me a hug and a pat on the back. Today has been one of those days, a kind of day a mother takes joy in. A kind of day a mother tucks away in her heart to save for a day when everything goes wrong, and she yells, and the kids are disobedient and hating each other; and she brings that day out and holds it in her hand and reminds herself why she is walking this path.
School was going fairly well; it was quiet and the subject matter was easily understood by each of the kids, when out of nowhere, the 10 year-old started to play a beautiful song on the piano. When asked if it was a new song his piano teacher gave him to practice, he replied that, no, it was just something he had made up and was working on. This piqued the 16 year-old's interest, and as soon as he was done with his chemistry lesson he grabbed his little brother, sat at the piano with him, watched him play and then joined in. Later, I heard the 16 year-old in the basement, playing the same song on his keyboard and then on his guitar. By this point, the 13 year-old was practicing piano and voice and was teaching her 8 year-old sister the harmony. All the while, the 17 year-old is upstairs painting a bedroom that badly needs it; painting it, not because I asked her to, but because she offered. And the other little ones are laughing and jumping on the trampoline, while the baby watches and is swinging her baby doll in the baby swing, and then comes inside and makes a little bed for herself and her baby and is snuggling on the family room floor. Lunch was a success (meaning no one whined about it), the kitchen is clean, dinner is ready to go and bread is baking in the oven. Jay called to ask if he could go to the store for me, and I found a bouquet of dandelions and violets on the kitchen counter, left by some very small hands. My afternoon, with the sunshine and open windows letting in spring breezes, lies before me, full of possibilities and hope.
If I were honest, and had a better memory, I would say that there are more days like this than I realize. I tend to focus on the negatives: the unmade beds, the whining children, the mountains of laundry, the dirty floors and dishes, and that I'm behind on so many tasks. But then a day like today comes along, and I remember other days like this; too many to count. Thank you Lord for this day. Thank you for orchestrating it so that I was blessed and encouraged. Help me to remember this and all the other blessings You have given me.
School was going fairly well; it was quiet and the subject matter was easily understood by each of the kids, when out of nowhere, the 10 year-old started to play a beautiful song on the piano. When asked if it was a new song his piano teacher gave him to practice, he replied that, no, it was just something he had made up and was working on. This piqued the 16 year-old's interest, and as soon as he was done with his chemistry lesson he grabbed his little brother, sat at the piano with him, watched him play and then joined in. Later, I heard the 16 year-old in the basement, playing the same song on his keyboard and then on his guitar. By this point, the 13 year-old was practicing piano and voice and was teaching her 8 year-old sister the harmony. All the while, the 17 year-old is upstairs painting a bedroom that badly needs it; painting it, not because I asked her to, but because she offered. And the other little ones are laughing and jumping on the trampoline, while the baby watches and is swinging her baby doll in the baby swing, and then comes inside and makes a little bed for herself and her baby and is snuggling on the family room floor. Lunch was a success (meaning no one whined about it), the kitchen is clean, dinner is ready to go and bread is baking in the oven. Jay called to ask if he could go to the store for me, and I found a bouquet of dandelions and violets on the kitchen counter, left by some very small hands. My afternoon, with the sunshine and open windows letting in spring breezes, lies before me, full of possibilities and hope.
If I were honest, and had a better memory, I would say that there are more days like this than I realize. I tend to focus on the negatives: the unmade beds, the whining children, the mountains of laundry, the dirty floors and dishes, and that I'm behind on so many tasks. But then a day like today comes along, and I remember other days like this; too many to count. Thank you Lord for this day. Thank you for orchestrating it so that I was blessed and encouraged. Help me to remember this and all the other blessings You have given me.
Amen!
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