I'm gonna praise Him...

And in the spirit of not growing weary while doing the great work of raising my children, today I celebrate that after the battle that bedtime often is, we've had two nights in a row of a much smoother, more peaceful experience!

It's amazing what happens when I let go of my stubborn self and seek God's guidance in even the little things and then listen and act.  He reminded me once again that the to-do list might seem gigantic, but spending time with Him needs to be at the top every day.  And doing too many things on it at one time doesn't lead to things being done faster, just everything taking longer and leading to more frustration for all involved.

Praise God!

Fill Me Up

This was the chorus of one of the songs we sung in worship yesterday and replayed over and over in my head this evening.  Bedtime is rarely a smooth affair in my house and tonight was one of the rough ones.  I was frustrated-- trying to do to many things at one time, asking too much of my kids, and had reached the end of what I felt I had to give to the whole situation.  So I stopped right in the middle of it all to take a deep breath and realized I needed much more than that.

Standing in the living room, I closed my eyes and prayed hard in my head.  "Lord, I can't find more patience at the moment, I don't have what I need to give to the kids right now.  I need you.  Please replace the frustration with peace."  And then I was able to take that deep breath and finish bed time without raising my voice, without hurtful words, without anger.  I slowed down and took the time to give Basil the one on one cuddle time that she needed from me and I think we were both blessed.  I stopped trying to do too many things and spent focused time with Bug, ending the whole process much more positively than it began.  I expected to get both kids to bed and collapse feeling completely drained; instead, I feel and full to the brim, even overflowing with peace that only comes from Jesus.  I am so appreciative again of my Lord who meets me right where I am, just when I call.

And the highlight of that experience was hearing my son tell my husband, "She was praying, Dad." shortly after I walked away to help Basil get pajamas on for bed.  I didn't hear what was said first so I don't know the context, but I LOVE that Bug recognized what I was doing.  We talk a lot about stepping back when you are frustrated and praying when you need help, but I know that actions speak volumes more.  So, while teaching my son wasn't my intent in the moment, it fills me up even more to know that he immediately thought that's what I would be doing when I was clearly overwhelmed.  It's a beautiful reminder of what we teach our kids in our actions and an encouragement all in one.