these kind of days

I awoke to the alarm this morning at five thirty, heart pounding, with a list of things I must accomplish today running through my head.

First off, dentist appointment. Next, dress, gift, and grocery shopping before returning home to clean the bathroom. Then, send a card, finish emails, and make a meal to bring to a new mom.

My self-imposed agenda was growing by the second.

I blended a green smoothie, took a shower, and woke Rina for school. She said, "I'm hot. I think I'm sick."

I brought up the thermometer to prove she wasn't ... Well, ha, so much for my to-do list.

Thank God for fevers and reasons to stop the madness, putting the important things front and center.

I'll take snuggling, reading, dancing in the kitchen, and movies with my girl any day of the week.

When the kids were little, we had constant physical contact—feeding, holding, hugging, and playing. Now, finding time to keep them close takes willfulness and endless creativity.

I'm thankful for the gift of these kind of days, when I can be intentional about pouring out of Marina all the world tries to fill her with, and instead, pouring into her the love God has given me the ability to share.

One of my favorite authors, Sally Clarkson, wrote this in her book The Mission Of Motherhood: "Children do not accidentally become righteous leaders or emotionally healthy and productive adults - any more than seeds thrown randomly to the wind grow to be part of a thriving garden. Simply throwing children into a cultural tornado and hoping for the best gives them little chance of living up to their potential or coming out unharmed.  Someone needs to take responsibility for their nurture, protection, nourishment, intellectual development, manners, recreation, personal needs and spiritual development. Someone needs to commit time and energy into staying close to them as they grow, encouraging and correcting and teaching."

I'm so thankful that someone is me.

"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him." Psalm 127:3

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