I see time flying on the face on my six year old. She was my chubbiest baby, with the sweetest face full of cheeks and huge blue eyes. Her little voice was always high pitched and we joked that she could be a cartoon character, with her sweet face and high voice. She remains the snuggliest kid in our house, still loving to curl up with anyone that's available.
And all of the sudden she's big.
Her face still holds those huge blue eyes but the chubby cheeks are gone. Her voice is still high, but now it asks about spelling words and when her friends can come over, rather than Little Bear or princess shoes. She's hit that age where I always find myself shocked at how much bigger and mature she seems every, single morning.
It's made me realize afresh that being with my children isn't the same as spending time with them.
My husband just finished a week off from work. We didn't do anything in particular but be together. A couple of day trips and some yard work kept us busy. Really, we just spent time together. Spent time focusing on our children. And we noticed by midweek, how much happier our children we to obey and respect us.
Isn't that what we all crave though? To be heard and really listened to? To know that the people we love also love us enough to pay attention to our words? It's a way to demonstrate respect and love for others. It's also a way to demonstrate how God listens to us.
I was crying to the Lord with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. (Psalms 3:4)
Isn't that what it's all about? If only to demonstrate a tiny sliver of the heart of the Lord for our children. It's what I want through my day. Don't get me wrong, I fail. A lot. All the time. But through my failures, I can demonstrate the grace of God available to us, as I ask my children for forgiveness and show them my assurance that God will forgive me.
To listen. To really hear. To forgive. To smile. To love, as Christ loved me.
That's my homework this summer. It's what I'm grasping to as I watch the time fly by. We can't slow it down. We can only make our too-fast days count for something of eternal worth.
And all of the sudden she's big.
Her face still holds those huge blue eyes but the chubby cheeks are gone. Her voice is still high, but now it asks about spelling words and when her friends can come over, rather than Little Bear or princess shoes. She's hit that age where I always find myself shocked at how much bigger and mature she seems every, single morning.
It's made me realize afresh that being with my children isn't the same as spending time with them.
My husband just finished a week off from work. We didn't do anything in particular but be together. A couple of day trips and some yard work kept us busy. Really, we just spent time together. Spent time focusing on our children. And we noticed by midweek, how much happier our children we to obey and respect us.
Isn't that what we all crave though? To be heard and really listened to? To know that the people we love also love us enough to pay attention to our words? It's a way to demonstrate respect and love for others. It's also a way to demonstrate how God listens to us.I was crying to the Lord with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. (Psalms 3:4)
Isn't that what it's all about? If only to demonstrate a tiny sliver of the heart of the Lord for our children. It's what I want through my day. Don't get me wrong, I fail. A lot. All the time. But through my failures, I can demonstrate the grace of God available to us, as I ask my children for forgiveness and show them my assurance that God will forgive me.
To listen. To really hear. To forgive. To smile. To love, as Christ loved me.
That's my homework this summer. It's what I'm grasping to as I watch the time fly by. We can't slow it down. We can only make our too-fast days count for something of eternal worth.
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