I'm Gonna Miss This

I have been reminded several times these last few weeks of how a simple attitude of "I'm gonna miss this" can transform how you do your day to day with your kids. You seem to have more patience, see the long term, and invest in their lives for the long haul.

Last night I had an awful dream about Bethy. She fell from a really high place on a playground and I watched her fall and hit her head. I woke up right away in a panic, I started to pray for her and then I heard little footsteps on the stairs. In walks B, crying, she had had a bad dream. I gave her a big hug, prayed for her and then sent her off to bed as per usual. That is when I heard her walk into our door in the dark. She came running back in the dark for comfort. I pulled her into bed and held her as she cried, within minutes she was breathing calmly and had fallen asleep in my arms. I had the choice to wake her and ask her to return to her bed, or, just enjoy the moment and cuddle with my almost 6 yr old. I cuddled her in my arms all night as she slept beside me. I am learning more and more to treasure these moments, they don't last long. I am so grateful that God has blessed us with children, 3 children, and as I have seen many people go through loss of a child I thank God everyday that I still have experienced this gift. Experiencing loss ourselves has opened our eyes so much greater then I could have ever imagined. I am learning to make the most of each moment. To parent consistently and with appropriate discipline is crucial but if these moments tenderness and connectedness, where we show selfless love, if that is missing, we have missed the point of parenting.

All this said, I am trying to be an unconditional selfless lover as Christ is to me. I am excited about the next moment that I can learn this truth more deeply.