She Said

I love my children.  I love the fact that I get to stay at home and be there for them.  I love laughing and dancing with them.  I love watching them turn into amazing little people.  But there are times when I get frustrated.  Times when I just want space from them. 

Last week was one of those times that I just wanted space from my children.  There was no specific reason for it either.  I was just tired of picking up toys and whatever else they decided needed to decorate the floor that day.  I didn't really want children clinging to me every single moment. 

So there I was, feeling closed in while serving lunch to my 5 & almost 2 year old.  I was putting pretzels on their plates and then my daughter said the most random thing. 

Her:  Mom, you know you're serving God.
Me:  What do you mean?
Her:  Well, because you're serving us.  You serve God when you serve others. 

After establishing what a smart girl she is, I thought about what she said.  I started to feel less closed in. 

After lunch I sent the two of them to take a bath.  After I handed them both their own wash cloth, she looked me straight in the eye and said, "You're still serving God."  She then turned away and started splashing her brother, acting like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

In the days after this I've thought a lot about what she said. 

I've come to realize many things.  First of all, I have an amazing daughter who most definitely listened to the promptings of the Holy Ghost that day.  How else could she have known what to say at that moment to uplift me and make me feel better?  Not just once but twice. 

Secondly, my Father in Heaven is aware of me and the little things going on in my life.  Sometimes it's so easy to feel like He has so much to do and so many people to help that your small feeling of frustration won't be noticed.  But He does notice.  He does care. 

I also gained a new way to view taking care of my children.  Everytime I helped tie their shoe or washed their face, I was really helping my Father in Heaven.  It's not a new concept but the time it was said by the person who said it has had a rather profound effect upon me. 

I haven't yet finished wrapping my mind around this new concept.  I'm not yet sure how it will change me as a Mom and as a person.  I only know that it has changed me. 

Ella


© Ella's Place

Mini Miracles

A couple of months ago I found a $100 bill.  It was a busy Saturday at the library with the farmers market across the street sharing the parking lot, which meant there was a lot of foot traffic.  That money could have belonged to any number of people.  Knowing how upset I'd be if I had lost that much money, I turned it in hoping it would find the one who'd lost it.  

A lot of stuff happened right after to pushed that $100 right out of my mind.  In fact, a week later I had a baby and things haven't slowed down since; there's been surgeries, a baptism, cubscouts, visits to family in Utah, a baby blessing and even a broken leg.  We can't forget school with all of the time spent on homework and all the drama that comes with children being in 1st & 3rd grade.  In short, I had forgotten all about it.

Then today I received a phone call requesting my presence at the library to meet with one of the administrators.  I agreed but was bewildered; I couldn't imagine why they needed to speak with me.  I didn't have any outstanding fees or missing materials.  Frankly, I felt like I was still in school and had just been called to the principal's office. 

So, I presented myself and was given an envelope.  Inside was the $100 that I had found all those months ago.  They had advertised for 3 months and no one came to claim it, so they gave it to me.  I guess they were operating on the "finders keepers" premise.

This is the latest in mini miracles that we've experienced lately. 

Like most of the world right now, money is tight for us.  Not just because of the approaching holidays but also because of babies, surgeries, a broken leg and everyday life as a family of 7.  In fact, we haven't been this poor in a very long time and it's scary. 

Then amazing little things began to happen.  The first was being told that my son's broken leg was only going to take 4 weeks to heal instead of the 6-8 weeks we had originally been told.  Along with that, the break required a much simpler cast than expected which meant our lives would be much less complicated.  Next was a refund check from the dentist telling us that we had overpaid them by almost $100.  Then an emergency visit to the dentist was free due to a confusing explanation about a warranty.  Who's ever heard of a warranty on dental work that I'm not even sure they did?  Then finally this unclaimed $100.

A miracle by definition is an act of God or an event that is amazing, extraordinary or unexpected but were these small incidents miracles?  I guess it all depends on your outlook but what it all really means to me is that I know my Father in Heaven is mindful of me.  I'm not alone.  It's not me up against a hard, cruel world but rather it's me working in conjunction with Him.  I don't have to bear the weight of the world or my family on my shoulders.  I just need to do my best and have faith that He will carry me the rest of the way. 

Ella


© Ella's Place