Catching on: have you ever been so caught up in a good cause that you lost sight of the people around you? Take a little time today to lay aside your agenda and listen for what God is asking you.
Since college, tasks can take a
priority over people and being an introvert plays in to that. I thrive off
solitude and creating, which can be beneficial or destructive in any given
circumstance. I am a recovering Type A task oriented person and constantly ask
God to open my eyes to those around me, to really see. Especially to see my
children. Those closest in proximity and heart.
Taking care of small children can
be draining and exhausting and transitions, even the smallest things like upgrading
from crib to toddler bed can feel like moving mountains.
Towards the end of summer and
beginning of fall Jude, just over eighteen months, decided it was time to make
that switch. It was time to get a big boy bed, like his sister's. After
climbing out of his crib and refusing to sleep, though he was tired, so unlike
himself, it was time to give in.
My friend, knowing of our predicament,
tagged me in a post on a Facebook children's site that was selling an identical
bed to my daughter's. Perfect timing.
We purchased the bed and the
sweet lady even threw in a brand new Cinderella dress up dress, which my
daughter had just been praying and asking God for a few days before.
The weeks that followed were
hard. My son refused to stay in his bed and was tired and crying and I was
starting to mirror him, while caring for an infant and active four year old. I
was praying Galatians 6:9 regularly: let
us not grow weary of doing good, for in the proper time we will reap a harvest
and looking for the good because life was good, just harder.
Early October found me sitting in
a prayer room, while a new friend prayed for me and the Holy Spirit reminded me
to see my children. To see truly see them. To see their eyes and their needs
and their wants. To see their hears. To see past the outbursts and tasks at
hand and look at them how He does.
He reminded me that as I delight
in my children, he also delights in me. He sees me. He sees them. And it was
this beautiful reminder of opening my eyes to my children, not their requests
for more snacks or putting them back to bed for the hundredth time but to see
them for who they are now and not what they are doing, whether positive or
negative. Simply, to love them as they are.
And with that, he gave me new
eyes to see each one. Each perfectly formed person, bubbling with personality
and laughter and love and a little crazy.
There is a fine line between
caring for the tasks of children and putting out fires and enjoying the
entirety of mamahood. It is that line that can make it easy to miss out on
truly seeing them or hearing their hearts, especially during transitions, which
seem to be the only constant. And it just may be, that people the closest are
the hardest to truly see, until we stand back and take a breath to focus and ask God to give us a fresh look.
Here's to new sight for the
people around you.
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This is part of a 365 day blogging series through Savor by Shauna Niequist. If you would like to blog along, whether daily or weekly, I would love to have you for the journey; be sure to link back to the post. And if you are not a blogger, you can join along, too. Just leave your response and answers in the comments.
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