I don’t know about you, but I often get caught up in the monotonous tasks of my day. If I don’t watch myself, it is easy to moan under my breath at the dark green carpet in our house that needs to be vacuumed again. “Didn’t I just do it yesterday? That crazy dog and his shedding hair!” That is where it starts and quickly can escalate. “How can those kids possibly dirty this many clothes…..” You get the picture. I should stop.
Maybe I am the only one, but I am betting not.
The past two weeks have been filled with a very different pace for our family. Hubby led a group from our church to Nicaragua so while he was gone the kids and I packed up and went North. I figured that spending time with my extended family was much better than staying at home wishing that I was in Central America too. Crazy I know, but this momma doesn’t mind traveling around the world with kiddos in tow. At least I thought that until we were half way through the 20 something hour drive to Michigan. Lord have mercy. I should stop.
There is just something about spending time in my childhood haunts. As I tucked the girls in to the room I shared with my younger sister and as I watched the kiddos jumping rope and running through the sprinkler in the front yard just like I did…..well it makes you remember the sweet times and helps me to focus on the precious moments that will fade all to quickly.
Desperate to hold on to the moments, I pulled out my camera. These are the things I want to focus on.
Now, I am not going to end this post with the words “enjoy every moment because they grow up so fast.” I hate that saying. It makes me feel guilty. Sometimes it is just plain hard to enjoy the tantrum my two year old decides to bless me with. So little old lady in the grocery store, your cute saying might seem appropriate for the moment when all four of my blessings are sweetly licking the suckers the cashier just generously handed out. But, in the van when the sugar crash comes and I still have two more errands…..I should stop.
Instead of guilting myself into trying to enjoy it all, I am trying to gain a bit of focus. I want to train my mind to dwell on the good things (because they ARE there) rather than dwelling on the difficult moments and running a list of complaints through my head.
Finally, friends, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Phil. 4.8
Casting A Stone 