Cleaning Mud Out of Little Ears
I love when God continues to bring a portion of scripture to my attention frequently over a span of time. There are a few scriptures that He just keeps showing me through my time with Him in His Word, through conversations with friends and family, through prayer and at church lately.
I've shared before, that I have a burden to help. I want to be a helpful person, and be remembered as someone who went above and beyond to step up to the call to serve. So many times, I feel I fail at that. The desire is there, but the ability to follow through isn't always.
There are so many people in my life who help me so much on a daily basis. I want to be that person. I want to help. Instead I often find myself unable to help, unable to serve, because I am tied down to my two young children who very much need me for almost everything.
A few days ago, I decided to meet a few people at my church and stuff baggies for a local race where some members of our church would be handing out snacks and drinks. Because of the meeting time being before Cliff would be home, I had to take my boys with me. This was fine because there were other children along as well, and I always love my boys being exposed to opportunities to serve others and see others being served.
As the short time that I was there came to a close, I felt frazzled. And tired. I went to help. And I did help. But I also had my two year old literally stepping on the cereal bars we were stuffing, tearing toilet paper off the rolls in bulk, and beating on the drums. I had my five year old engaging in a good ole' game of very loud tag with the other children. All of which required me to step away from my opportunity to serve and be mom. I find this to be the case so many times.
After the afternoon and another situation in which I found myself disappointed in not being able to help out, I went to bed feeling blah.
Cliff is responsible for filling the baptismal pool at church and Walker always tags along to help. Saturday, Will and I decided to tag along as well. And it was in that moment, the very moment that I slipped that dirty old water hose through the window of the modular unit that our church start currently calls home, and waited for Cliff to say he'd reached the portable pool we use, that God said to me "This is for me. I see you putting that hose through that window and you are doing it for me. You serve and I see." And as I looked behind me to see two little boys, wide eyed and ready for their Daddy's signal to turn on the water faucet, my heart was full. As a family, we were serving. No matter how small an act, we were serving. And as a mother, I was doing my biggest act of service. I was being their example.
And it's here, in these moments, when I find myself reminded of the truth that seems to just have a hard time sinking in with me. The truth that I do serve. I serve every single day. I serve The Lord when I change dirty diapers, and I serve him when I wash mud out of little ears. I serve Him when I clean up puke and when I cook a dinner that may or may not be well received by the littles. I serve him when I pick up my husband's dirty socks from the living room and I serve him when I lay out clothes for everyone before I collapse into bed each night. And perhaps the biggest truth of all that He revealed to me that day, I serve when I stay at home and be mom so that my husband, who has an incredible servant's heart, can go and serve in our church and community in so many ways.
So soon, these babies will be grown up, they will be out living their lives and won't need me the way they do now. I must not forget, for a moment, how important and critical serving God in my home and through the seemingly routine and meaningless moments (like wiping up spilled juice) is. It is through this service, that young boys will be grown into young men. It is now, when the love they are shown will carry them through the future hurts of life, and that the truths they are taught will grow them into fine young men who love The Lord.
And so, once again, I am reminded of this verse.
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." -Colossians 3:17
Lord, please help me to never forget, not for a moment, that my biggest act of service during this time of my life is being mom.
I've shared before, that I have a burden to help. I want to be a helpful person, and be remembered as someone who went above and beyond to step up to the call to serve. So many times, I feel I fail at that. The desire is there, but the ability to follow through isn't always.
There are so many people in my life who help me so much on a daily basis. I want to be that person. I want to help. Instead I often find myself unable to help, unable to serve, because I am tied down to my two young children who very much need me for almost everything.
A few days ago, I decided to meet a few people at my church and stuff baggies for a local race where some members of our church would be handing out snacks and drinks. Because of the meeting time being before Cliff would be home, I had to take my boys with me. This was fine because there were other children along as well, and I always love my boys being exposed to opportunities to serve others and see others being served.
As the short time that I was there came to a close, I felt frazzled. And tired. I went to help. And I did help. But I also had my two year old literally stepping on the cereal bars we were stuffing, tearing toilet paper off the rolls in bulk, and beating on the drums. I had my five year old engaging in a good ole' game of very loud tag with the other children. All of which required me to step away from my opportunity to serve and be mom. I find this to be the case so many times.
After the afternoon and another situation in which I found myself disappointed in not being able to help out, I went to bed feeling blah.
Cliff is responsible for filling the baptismal pool at church and Walker always tags along to help. Saturday, Will and I decided to tag along as well. And it was in that moment, the very moment that I slipped that dirty old water hose through the window of the modular unit that our church start currently calls home, and waited for Cliff to say he'd reached the portable pool we use, that God said to me "This is for me. I see you putting that hose through that window and you are doing it for me. You serve and I see." And as I looked behind me to see two little boys, wide eyed and ready for their Daddy's signal to turn on the water faucet, my heart was full. As a family, we were serving. No matter how small an act, we were serving. And as a mother, I was doing my biggest act of service. I was being their example.
And it's here, in these moments, when I find myself reminded of the truth that seems to just have a hard time sinking in with me. The truth that I do serve. I serve every single day. I serve The Lord when I change dirty diapers, and I serve him when I wash mud out of little ears. I serve Him when I clean up puke and when I cook a dinner that may or may not be well received by the littles. I serve him when I pick up my husband's dirty socks from the living room and I serve him when I lay out clothes for everyone before I collapse into bed each night. And perhaps the biggest truth of all that He revealed to me that day, I serve when I stay at home and be mom so that my husband, who has an incredible servant's heart, can go and serve in our church and community in so many ways.
So soon, these babies will be grown up, they will be out living their lives and won't need me the way they do now. I must not forget, for a moment, how important and critical serving God in my home and through the seemingly routine and meaningless moments (like wiping up spilled juice) is. It is through this service, that young boys will be grown into young men. It is now, when the love they are shown will carry them through the future hurts of life, and that the truths they are taught will grow them into fine young men who love The Lord.
And so, once again, I am reminded of this verse.
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." -Colossians 3:17
Lord, please help me to never forget, not for a moment, that my biggest act of service during this time of my life is being mom.
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