What is that nursery rhyme...the one where little boys are made of puppy dog tails and girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice?
I am so blessed to have 2 children, a boy and a girl, a princess and a warrior. She dances, he fights. She squeals, he rescues. At ages 6 and 3, it is literal. And boy, can they fight!!
Although my little girl can hold her own in a wrestling match and my little boy is sweet and sensitive, at their core...my little girl needs to be held close and my little boy needs to be let go.
I cringed the other day as I felt the need to let Judah kill a bug. Yuck! He was so proud to fllush it down the toilet as he proclaimed, "I killed it!"
The whiney-squealy (and in Ana's case- low and gutty) voice of a pop star can send chills up my spine- yet the sparkles and hairbrush microphone coupled with her dreams of stardom make it bearable--even intriguing to watch.There are days when I feel I'll explode if I hear the word "mommy" one more time. There are days when I can't force food down them or poop out of them. I get so tired and have to make myself stay awake to spend time with their hero daddy.
Yet, in those times, I am reminded of a scary labor and delivery. Her heart rate was dropping and they kept having to tell me to stop pushing. The cord was double-wrapped around her neck. It was in that moment I gave her back to Him and thanked him for letting me have her for a little while on earth. It was His peace I felt in that moment, and I knew He would take good care of her.
I remember a dream I had while pregnant with Judah- a dream of him in his twenties waking up an army of outcasts to join God's army in battle.
I wonder what I'm doing wrong on the nights when my kids do not want to pray and what I am doing right on mornings like this morning when my 3 year old prayed, "God, help mommy and daddy and sissy and me today, Amen." --Or yesterday, when I walked in on both of them sitting at a table of play food taking turns saying what they were thankful for and praying over their pretend Thanksgiving meal.
It is a season. From what I've heard, it will pass fast. My sister-in-law recently reminded me that in this season, the days will seem long, but the years will be short. I want to cherish where I am, even though I'm tired.
So, today I challenge you - as I also challenge me,
To take a step back from the superheros and popstars, princesses and trains, hitting and squealing...
and see God's little princess and God's little warrior, the miracles He has given you for just a short while on earth.
