Slow down.....

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Being a mom is hard. Real hard.

I find myself second guessing decisions that I make, or don't make.

Constantly I am wondering if I am too strict, not strict enough?

I want to do a good job at this. I really do.

Today, one of the refrigerator racks fell off. Crashing with a boom to the floor. 

A jar of blueberry jelly busted all over the floor. Blue jelly and pieces of glass. Everywhere.

It was a mess. A big fat mess.

As I was on my knees scrubbing the jelly off the floor and picking up pieces of glass, the Lord reminded me of something.

I was in a rush when I was putting the ketchup back on that shelf after dinner. My hand haphazardly hit the bottom of the shelf, and boom came crashing down. 

It was an accident that could easily have been prevented.  I was in a hurry. 

I see the same thing in my parenting.

If I don't take the time now to slow down, to mend things, tend to things, nurture things that happen in the lives of my children....those things will soon be just like that jelly splattered all over the floor. A big fat mess.

I realize many things will be a "choice" for them. We all have choices. However, my job is to not be their conscience but their trainer. My job is to train them now for the race of life. I won't be able to run the race at all times beside them, but I have the chance now to prepare them. To condition them for what is to come.

Life is hard. Training is necessary and essential to this race. 

Lord, remind me to slow down. Please help me to take the time to be attentive to these little ones. Help me to not be rushed, bothered,  or too busy to stop, in my parenting. I desire to be intentional and purposeful in training them. I desire to not just mend seams that bust in their lives but to watch for seams that are weak or loose. Give me eyes to see those barely noticeable seams that are in need of attention, Lord. I have this one chance to raise these precious ones. Please help me to do it well. 

 

I confess....

Somewhere along the way, I have eased up on my prayer life.

Not sure when it began, but it happened.

Probably busyness. It will suck the living daylights out of a good prayer life.

When we are not intentional about things, we begin to form bad habits. Hence, my prayer life.

I have still been reading God's Word, studying His Word, and all that fun stuff. However, somewhere along the line, an unceasing prayer life, has slipped off the radar.

I have been praying.

But, not unceasingly. "...pray without ceasing" 1 Thessalonians 5:17

I committed this week to get back on the prayer horse and stay there.

If I look back on my life, the times when my head was face down to the ground, is when I saw the Lord working the most. Not that He wasn't working if I wasn't praying, but He really showed me Himself when I was face to the ground.

What about you?

Feeling disconnected?

Plug back into prayer.

I dare you.

Hold me accountable and  I will do the same for you.

back to praying,

jill