It is rare that I consciously sit and think of my children as a heritage from the LORD. Reflection takes time. And my time is tight.
Especially with a toddler. There are many days I can not see past my own frustrations to view my two-year-old as a heritage.
Ponder with me today.
Heritage (nachalah): a possession granted by Jehovah; a possession of Jehovah.
My boys, your children, your tween, your teen, that tiresome toddler, a possession of Jehovah, the One True God, granted to you. As your portion. As a reward.
And a reward indeed.
This morning, let us celebrate the favor of Jehovah God, as we reflect on our inheritance.
Having a Two-Year-Old Means...
...finding my toothbrush in the pantry.
...eating quickly at restaurants.
...discovering patience I never knew I had.
...never sitting still at a park.
...putting all steak knives out of reach.
...listening to his favorite song over and over and over.
...Oxy-Clean.
...a crib escapee crawling into my bed.
...stealing quiet kisses.
...finding my wallet on the train table.
...needing a patient hairstylist.
...getting exercise at the pool. But not in the water.
...confessing I have given him this for breakfast:
...belly laughs.
...praying more often.
...realizing my inability to slow time.
...letting him fall.
...being there to help him up.
...kissing away his tears.
...and rocking him...as long as he'll let me.
What would your line be?
Having a ________-year-old means...
Having a ONE year old AND a TWO year old means...
ReplyDelete...waking up to a two year old crawling into bed
...a flooded bathroom after bath time
...never ending laundry
...kisses numerous bumps, bruises, and "ow"s
...watching the same movie over and over and over
...spending an hour trying to convince two toddlers bed time is important
...bringing a double stroller with you everywhere you go...so you don't have to chase two toddlers through a store
...buying another gallon of milk...every few days
...cheerios crushed into the living room carpet...and still there two weeks later
...squeezing in bible reading during bath time or while two toddlers are running around singing
...dancing and making a complete fool of yourself just to see their faces light up with giggles
...countless kisses and hugs and cuddles
...always being tired
...never ending blessings
Yes, being a mom of two toddlers is exhausting, but it is SO worth it. Thank you for the reminder to see them as a heritage and a blessing from the Lord!
I have been thinking that this week- except that I am about to have a TEN year old!! Having a ten year old means:
ReplyDelete*letting go
*being ok when he tells me "no offense, mom, but I really don't want you to go on my class field trip because I want to hang out with my friends!"
*being able to go to the hair salon ALONE ;)
*allowing him to fail
*watching him face hard life circumstances already
*being able to sleep in on the weekends because he does too!
*giving him to God every day!
*cherishing the hugs and kisses and wondering how long they will continue
*having legitamite help doing yard work for several hours!
*giving him the freedom he craves
*givng him boundaries he needs
*desperately wanting to stop time so we don't have to reach the teen years!!
*listening listening listening and praying he will continue to talk to me about everything that goes on at school!
* having time to pursue some of my own goals!
*did I mention letting go?
Having a two year old means...
ReplyDelete*hearing my name over and over again. (I'm also reminded over and over again how thankful I am for his communication skills.)
*my sweet boy has now turned into an aggressive beast!
*singing/listening to the "Our God song" multiple times a day. (Chris Tomlin would love it!)
*countless spills while he is learning to drink from a cup.
*reading a story and then reading it to me.
Thank you for this sweet post. God is teaching me patience through this boy. He is a handful and I love him. But it's a pretty awesome reminder of how I am a handful to God and He's still patient with me.
Having an ALMOST two year old means...
ReplyDeleteComplete exhaustion and unabashed joy like I have never known!
Seeing how impatient I really am and asking God for forgiveness.
Always saying "hurry up" when all I really want to do is slow down.
Changing diapers in the STRANGEST places.
Everything in our world is about Thomas "blue choo choo" which means that I can NEVER go to the mall again unless we ride the train.
Every night, this small person asks for me to read him stories and tuck him in and that is the most awesome part of my job. No matter what I've done or not done, said or not said during the day, at night time, all is forgiven and God gives us a fresh start the next day.
I just want to cry reading these! Thank you all! Keep them coming!! SO GOOD!
ReplyDeleteWe're sandwiching the 2's now (ages 3 and 1), but here is what I recall in my feeble mind:
ReplyDelete- sharing everything, regardless of whether it is voluntary - forks, toothbrushes, sickness
- loving it when he belts out a new song he learned in bible study that day
- loving it when he already knows the hymn "Holy Holy Holy" when they are teaching it to him in bible study
- seeing my pile of 'things that are broken and need to be fixed' continue to grow daily
- toothpaste everywhere
- realizing there is no such thing as a childproof lock
- being humbled over and over again. I've never spent so much time 'on my knees'...
Having a 10- & 12-year-old means:
ReplyDelete...less time remaining with them at home than I've already had :'(
...bigger loads of laundry (because their clothes are bigger)
...less chores for ME, b/c they're actually capable of doing them well
...really starting to see the people they are becoming {& I love them!}
...still being able to "tuck them in" at night
...baby girl is on the phone. A LOT!
...homework is getting harder to help them with!
...deep, meaningful conversations about the world & God
...my sweet boy smells like a dirty, sweaty boy. A LOT!
...sleeping in on Saturdays!
...sharing clothes with baby girl!
...going to the store more often, because I'm not the only one who gets food out of the fridge/pantry anymore (therefore, I don't know when things are almost gone)
...going to the store with them b/c I WANT to, not b/c I HAVE to!
...shared humor, because they actually "get" more grown up funny things!
...trying not to think about how quickly they'll be grown & out of the house
Becky, thank you for this awesome reminder. I am being reminded right now to really cherish my family and those I love. Thinking, though, of our crazy household ... Having 3 kiddos and a husband means we're always looking for something! Things get lost around here more often than I would like! And, having my little 2 year old means a sweet hug and kiss one second followed by a "whack" the next second. He's learning "gentle" :)
ReplyDeleteAnd on another note ... praying constantly for our sweet Monica and her mom. I heard Tony liked your cookin'! ;)
Stephanie Pohler