Beauty in the ordinary

Today has been long, and I'm tired.  I should change into my jammies and go to bed, but I just needed to get this out.  Tonight.  This week. All ordinary.  All great.  Maybe nothing spectacular happened, and it probably seems boring to an outsider.  But tonight for the first time in a while, I am excited for tomorrow.  I'm excited to set my alarm for 7am and try once again to wake up before the kids.  I'm excited to meet with God and let Him set the tone for my day.  I am excited to quietly unload the dishes in the morning (if I actually get up), while the rest of my people sleep.

Tonight I snuggled with Shepherd on the couch as he had his bedtime bottle.  I just kissed his head and rubbed his fingers.  I thought "Ya know. He's probably old enough to get rid of his bedtime bottle".  But then I thought "Eh, I like our night-time ritual, and I'm gonna enjoy this little snuggle session as long as I can".

During this time Inara was having her bed-time snack of cereal.  She's obsessed with cereal lately and pretty much asks for it all day long.  She's just like her Dad.  So she's eating at the table and I hear "oh, no! Momma. I spilled my milk on my chair and undies". (Because yeah, she eats her bedtime snack in just her undies).  I reply "Its ok baby.  Just grab a dish towel, wipe off your chair, and change your undies".  And then it hits me. 1) God has done a good work in me to allow me to not reply in frustration at the mess she's making, but to reply calmly and with grace. Guys! This. is. huge.  2) I have a big kid.  Big enough to eat her snack unattended. Big enough to not freak out and be emotional when something doesn't go her way.  Big enough to receive 3 commands for what to do next, and then DO THEM ALL WITHOUT BEING REPEATED.  It was like an out of body experience.

I put Shepherd in his crib.  Covered him up with his 2 blankies, gave him his doggie stuffed animal, turned on his mobile, one last face stroke, and left the room.  I went into Inara's room where she requested a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible (seriously though, why have you not bought this yet?).  It's about the 10 Commandments.  She informs me she doesn't like the way Moses looks because "That's not how Mr. Langford draws him".  So we discuss that for a while.  Then we discuss The Law and how its good (Thank you, Peter Laruffa, for your last sermon).  Somehow we get talking about how not everyone has a Bible and knows about Jesus.  She doesn't understand how that can be possible and keeps asking "But why, Mom?"  I love her child-like faith.  We finish our conversation, we pray for kids without Bibles, and I sing "Come Thou Fount".

And Scene.

It is simple.  It is my life.  And it is good.











 Disclaimer: Affiliate links used in this post