"Just sayin'"...

-Cars and trucks in my pots and pans

-A shoebox, hairbrush, 1 sock, 1 pair of tennis shoes, and a tank top in my bathtub 

-1 dress shoe under the kitchen table and the other one under my bed 

-1 sippy cup floating in the toilet (GROSS) 

-1 entire roll of aluminum foil unwrapped on my kitchen floor 

-1 ball in my brass planter and another one in my tupperware drawer 

-3 of Jay's tennis racquets scattered on the bathroom floor 

-1 pacifier in Jay's shoe

-1 top to the the blender in between sofa cushions 

-1 ice cream scoop in the firetruck 

-1 penguin in my Calphalon cabinet

This is my life now, and I love every minute...., really I do.  As Jay tripped over the numerous tennis racquets today in the bathroom, he quickly went to find Elijah Brooks in the other room and kissed him on the cheek and said, "I am so glad that I just tripped on the racquets because it is a reminder that you are here with us".  SO TRUE, SO TRUE.  In today's society, children are so often viewed as a hassle, an inconvenience, little beings that we just put up with etc.... 

It is our job as Christian parents to destroy that kind of thinking. Children are a heritage from the Lord, they are life's greatest blessings. They are not inconveniences - they are treasures - and it is our job to make sure that they know that. 

I do not write this to act as if I am some great mom who has it all together or who never gets frustrated when my plans do not go according to how I want them to, or who does not grow weary of picking up toys all day long, or who does not get frustrated when I can't go for a walk because of a crying child in a stroller.  I am by nature, a woman who likes structure, order, and predictability. I write this to convict myself more than anything for the times that I do think that I am somehow being "inconvenienced".  

Jay's statement is so very true - how long we waited for Elijah Brooks.  As I look around my house, which is never orderly anymore, I am reminded of how many years I ached, yearned, longed, and prayed for this.  This life..., this very life that I am living, is what I prayed for..., and God in His mercy was gracious enough to give it to me - and more.  

Thank you Lord for realigning my thoughts today - and thank you Jesus for children, for these little souls that you have entrusted to us believing parents. Give us the grace, strength, and wisdom to raise them in the fear and admonition of YOU. 

*Why do my blog posts always turn out to be so much longer than intended??