It’s evening. That time of day when everyone and everything seems to fall apart. You know what I am talking about, Mommas?
I am sure you do.
The baby is crying in the other room. Refusing to sleep. Fighting hard. Her little self just wanting to be in the action, constantly.
And the toddler. Running aimlessly around the kitchen. “Dinner soon!” “Wanna eat.”
I am leaning over the island. Preparing the food. She bounces up and down. “Wan some! Wan some tooooo!”
Inside I am red-hot lava. Any moment there will be an explosion!
Again the little toddler voice. Whining this time. “I wan some!”
I am holding it in with all I have. Without thought, these words escape my lips, “children are a blessing from the Lord.”
Yes, truth. I hear Him speaking to me in that lava moment and I feel the cooling come into my heart. Yes, these little ones are a blessing. A huge blessing.
They challenge me. They squeeze the self-centered pride right out of me. And it hurts. Painful. However, it is beautiful. A work of the Lord.
At times my children feel like sandpaper rubbing the edges of my heart. Shaping. Refining. God is using these precious gifts to mold me. To smooth the rough edges that keep me from being a complete work.
Moms, while the days are filling with sandpaper moments remember that God is doing a beautiful work in and through you. It hurts yet the value is great. There may be sticky jam all over your table right now. You may have laundry piled to the ceiling. There may be a little voice whining. Beyond all that “noise” there are blessings. Sandpaper blessings.
See it. Accept it. Let God do a complete work in you!
Psalm 127:3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. NIV
Psalm 66:10 For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. NIV
Mark 9:37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.” NLT
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. ESV
Matthew 18:10 Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. NKJV
