Mommy Mondays
In 3rd grade, I wanted to be an executive secretary
for IBM. I loved filling out my pink “While You Were Out” forms and taking
imaginary phone calls for my brother.
Other career aspirations were: Hollywood Actress, Singer
on Broadway, Famous Author, Voice of a Disney Heroine, Missionary.
But the number one settled desire of my heart was to be a
mom. When I imagined myself all grown up,
I was living somewhere nice with 4-6 kids, playing games, making lunches, and
going to parks.
And last week it hit me – I’m there.
~*~*~*~*~
Our girls, 11 and 8, just came back from their first week-long
summer camp, and even though they crawled in at 10 PM, we sat and talked in
their room until well after midnight. It was enchanting, seeing their faces
light up as they shared the hilarious, embarrassing, inspiring, and
entertaining events of the week. I went to bed with a contented smile.
Our four kids are all potty trained, we’re past the constraints
of nap time, and I usually get a full night of sleep. (Hallelujah!) They love
being together. Games have moved beyond Candy Land and into those that
stimulate my brain cells. We draw together, paint together, read together, do
laundry together, jump on the trampoline together… it’s a memory-every-moment
kind of life right now.
I’m not talking perfect – we’re still on this side of
eternity – but you get the idea. This life, where I am right now – underneath
the laundry and dishes and Cheerios on the floor - has been my definition of “all
grown up.”
~*~*~*~*~
The question posed before me this morning is:
“Now what?”
Pastor Nate Irwin spoke this week on Psalm 39, Show Me the Measure of My Days.
4 “O Lord, make me know
my end and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!
And to quote Benjamin Franklin:
“Dost thou love life?
Then do not squander time,
for that is the stuff life is made of.”
It’s time for some vision planning. Hmmm… will this
require a trip away to a cabin in the mountains, a luxury I often imagine that all
writers indulged in? Ha, not a chance. It will consist of a cup of coffee, my
Bible, and the early morning before they start to stir.
I don’t know what my next phase of growing up will look
like, but in the now, I can prayerfully make the most of every moment. "God, what do you have for me today?"
What does this look like in your life? Have you ever
reached a point of being all grown up?
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| At a Family Reunion |
