missing it?

Parents, listen up! No. I mean, really. It’s time we start listening to our kids.

The other day I was trying to clean up some gunk off the kitchen floor when my daughter came in to the kitchen and began telling me about something that had happened at school. I didn’t really acknowledge her or make eye contact at first, but just politely nodded my head and kept right along scrubbing the sticky mess off the floor. But suddenly the Spirit nudged me to look up. After all, I have taught my kids to look at people when they are being spoken to, so shouldn’t I be doing the same for them?

When I stopped what I was doing, which was of no importance anyways, and looked up at her, I immediately noticed her face was beaming as she told me about how her journal had been chosen by her teacher to show off at a faculty meeting. Her eyes were so bright and she was obviously excited about this accomplishment. So we celebrated together.

But what if I hadn’t looked up? What if I had simply continued what I was doing and just nodding my head out of obligation? What if I hadn’t truly LISTENED?

These kiddos are getting to the age where these opportunities are fewer and farther between. That was my one chance ALL DAY to speak life into that child. And as she is very private and quiet and usually doesn’t share these things with me, it might have been my one chance ALL YEAR. What if had had missed it simply because I was preoccupied with things that didn’t matter AT ALL?

Moms and Dads it’s time we SLOW DOWN!!! We have a very important job to do and it’s time we stop missing it!!!

now what?

all i ever wanted to do was be a stay-at-home mom.  even when i was in college, people would inquire about what i wanted to do when i graduated, and i would say, "get married and have kids."  they would look at me puzzled and say, "well then what the heck are you doing here?"  to which i would reply, "well i figured i probably need a degree to fall back on."  but in the back of my mind, in all honesty, i was wondering myself what i was doing there.

and now that all my kids are past preschool and almost past elementary age, i'm beginning to wonder again, "what the heck am I doing here?"  our youngest child is in 3rd grade now, so for the last 4 years since he started school, my kids haven't "needed" a full-time stay-at-home mom, so i've been doing a lot of soul-searching trying to figure out where to go from here.  i mean, what does a person do once they've lived out a dream come true?

so i've been talking to Jesus a lot these last four years, asking him "now what?" more times than i could possibly count.  he's taken me on some crazy adventures as i've provided in-home daycare, (something i never thought i would do), been a foster parent, become an author, and most recently subbing in an elementary school (also something i said i would never do.)  i've been through stages of boredom and stages of life-giving excitement.  i've been through seasons of deep discontentment and seasons of great joy.

and i still have no idea what i'm supposed to be when i grow up.  I mean, i'll always be a mom, but i still can't seem to find my "niche" professionally.  but i think i'm ok with that now.  because here's the deal:  about a year ago, i began to ask the Lord, "what is it that you made me for?  what have you created and gifted me uniquely and purposely to do?"   i mean, i've done a lot of different things (athlete, author, student, educator, foster parent, care-giver, babysitter, coach, bible study leader, volunteer, etc.)  and as i looked back through all the things i've done and the experiences i've had, i began to see one common thread.  in everything i've done, God has placed me strategically to ENCOURAGE those around me.

the Lord showed me that it wasn't about ANY of those jobs or experiences, as much as it was about me encouraging those around me while i was there.  i mean, i guess i'm kind of a utility player in the Lord's economy.  He's just moving me around to where he needs me at the time.  no doubt the next adventure will be just as interesting as the last.  because i wasn't created to be an educator, i was created to be an encourager. i wasn't made to bring home a paycheck from a particular employer as much as i was made to bring hope to discouraged hearts.

so in truth, i'm not writing this about me, but to encourage you to ask yourself the same question.  what is it that you were made to do?  how has God uniquely and particularly created and gifted you and how are you using it to serve His body and advance His kingdom?  it doesn't have as much to do with a job or career as you might think.