Interruptions

Being a mom has taught me a lot of things. There's the sweet mushy stuff: knowing how to rock away a bad dream, kiss a scraped knee, smile at the sight of a sleeping child. There's the spiritual stuff: whoa, I need Jesus. And whoa-man, so do my kids.

And then there's the intensely practical.

I never realized how incredibly inefficient I was until now. I mean, I used to shower, brush teeth, clean the tub and cook dinner... all being separate events. And now... if I find myself in the bathroom, alone, you bet I'm getting all those, or at least a few of them, done at once! This is not meant as a brag at all, more a reference to the crazy-always-going life we're living right now. I think I need to pray for super-human powers once E2 becomes more than "inch-worming" mobile. Or a third arm. Bring on the awkward stares, there are times when ya just need another hand!

But on to more important matters. Crazy as life may be, it's important to be interrupt-able.  (cue film)
While at Hobby Lobby last week, making a last minute purchase to finish a project, E2 and I were pacing up and down the aisles looking for a specific item. We passed by a woman,

"Excuse me ma'am, can we get past you?"

"Oh, of course! Oh my... what a lovely baby. How old is she?"

"Thank you, she's almost 5 months"

"This may sound weird, but could I smell her?"

pause.... "um, sure, okay"

And the waterworks begin. This woman, probably in her 50s, was brought to tears by E2. Unsure of what to do, I laid my hand on her shoulder. She then began to tell me about her daughter, Shayna, whom she only got to know for a few days before she went to be with Jesus. E2 reminded her so much of her own daughter. "Something about her face" she said. We talked until the store closed. Praying together, able to praise God for His sovereignty and goodness even when we can't understand why things happen. Though her eyes still glistened with tears when we parted, they were depicting joy, not sorrow. As she walked away, all I could think was "wow God, that was unexpected.  I thought I was just coming in here for beads!"

How wonderful it is, as Christians, to know and be able to rest in the fact that the Lord has all things entirely in His control! We don't have to stress like the rest of the world, we don't have to grieve hopelessly. There is hope, both for today and tomorrow. We know He is always working to make us more like Jesus.

In other news, we had the privilege of dedicating E2 in church on Mother's Day. I appreciated the explanation given to the church... dedication is  not salvation for the child. It's more about the parents, making a public commitment to raise the child up in light of Scripture. I love that it is a public testimony because parents (us chiefly among them) need help! I don't think my requests for the third hand are going to be granted any time soon, so I must rely on the Body of Christ. There are godly women who have wrangled more kids than two, and done it with a joyful heart and graceful hands. I need to come under them. There are others I can help. There are opportunities to serve all around, we just have to be interrupt-able to see them. (see first 3 chapters of Francis Chan's Multiply to hear a better explanation)

Ok, so to end with a funny story....

I took E1 grocery shopping today. There are many ways I know for sure this is my kiddo. Aside from being my physical clone, she has a disney fixation. Only 1 movie at a time, but she'll pick one or two scenes and want to watch them constantly! She's even figured out how to turn on the dvd player and start it up. Anyway, while walking to the register, E1 sees a plate with the characters from Frozen on it... cue the lights cause this little peanut let out a power ballad of "Let it go" all the way out to the car. People smiled and even chuckled at her... she wasn't phased a bit. Just happy to sing "Let it go.... let it go..... let go...... no cry..... let it go"