“One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy.”~ Elisabeth Elliott ~
God said to me, “Your son needs you, Amy.”
I heard it just as clearly as if He’d said it with an audible voice.
(thinks to self)
“I am. I am. I just need to finish this.”
So, off I go to take dinner out of the freezer. On the way to the freezer I notice a spot on the floor and decide to clean it up. I rush over to the sink full of dishes to wet the rag to clean the spot on the floor. It is then that I remember that the clothes I put in the washer earlier must be done and I need to do a load of towels. I wipe up the spot and head to the laundry room. I pass my son along the way. He is supposed to be doing his school work. The reading lesson is self explanatory. He must read and answer 10 questions. What does he need me for right now?
“I’ll be there in a minute, Gev”, I say as I toss the clothes from one machine to another. “Hey! There is my other shoe!” I run to my closet to put the shoe away with it’s counterpart and I notice my bed that is still unmade. Of course, you know what I do next, I make the bed!
This same scenario played out for at least another hour. All the while my little one was sitting at a table, face drooping, watching my every move and waiting. He was waiting for me to come and see what he needed.
“Your son needs you, Amy” He said to me again.
I put down the vacuum cleaner and fought off the desire to go and get the dinner that I had yet to take out of the freezer. I sat down beside my son and with a sigh asked, “What do you need?”
He sensed my increasing irritability and with tears swelling up he said, “Nothing mama, we forgot to pray before school. I didn’t want to start yet because I get all messed up when we don’t pray. I’m sorry. I knew you were busy so I just waited.”
Now, there I was with tears swelling up and feeling God grip my heart. I took a hold of and held the hand of my child so tightly and prayed like we were sitting at the very feet of Jesus. I felt so convicted and I knew that I had just learned an eternal lesson from my sweet and precious child.
“I didn’t want to start yet because I get all messed up when we don’t pray.”
Those are words to live by. Thank you Gevan. Thank you Jesus!
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{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
I have had this moment with bedtime and boy does it humble me!!! You’re doing a great job, Mom! His heart is showing Jesus in it already… I can so relate to this post and know where you’re coming from. Thanks for writing this..it’s a great reminder!
Oh knife in the gut! Tears in the eyes… How do we get so distracted from the important things? And God lets a little child lead us back. Thanks for sharing this Amy.
Ahhh, this story is priceless. (Thanks for being so real and so honest, who can’t relate?)
Amy, we are so much alike! I’m so blessed by the lesson Gev has taught us all.
Truly he was waiting for the most important thing.
Blessings to you my friend,
Susan
Thanks for posting a comment on my blog.
What a great post! Blessings to you.
Aww! Tears are in my eyes too! I get so messed up when I don’t start off the day with prayer — actually, most days I need to stay in constant prayer!
Thanks for stopping by my blog
Lisa B.
Oh-boy. Can I ever relate to this one!! Great post…even though I’m still smarting over it. (but that’s what made it so good)
Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom!
Such a wonderful story too.
Sarah
Beautiful lesson to learn. God bless you and your little one today and always…
Wow…very, very convicting. So often I’m like the mom in the homeschool version of “If you give a Mouse a cookie”…flitting from one *urgent* thing to the next and never getting to the *most* important. Thanks so much for sharing. This quote has been so timely for me. I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts on it.
Powerful! I love how God teaches me through the sweet voices of my kids. God bless you for writing from your heart and for His glory!
Amy you just took my heart twisted it so, this is so precious. But unfortunately I can see myself in it. Thank you so much for the timely reminder.
Ugh, conviction! At least you know you have done something right when your child does something like that.
Profound. Convicted. Motivated. Humbled. That’s what the Lord struck me with as I read your post. I’ve been there, done that. Heard the call from the Lord, and put it on hold. Thanks for the reminder to answer and remember the eternal work at stake!
Amy this was an amazing post. Thank you so much for blessing so many moms with your words. I certainly needed to hear this!
Thanks for visiting my site today and for your encouraging words. Also a big thanks for the cool package I got in the mail today (all the Josh M. stuff). It was the package that kept on giving. Blessings to you..
This is so true. I am ADD and Obsessive about house cleaning and lists. I could spend all day going from one loose end to the other.
We have such a short time to wear the title of mother in the formative years of our children’s lives… so I pray that we all can learn the “power of a moment” like Chris Rice’s song says. I know this is a lesson I have to learn more times than I want to admit at my house.
It reminds me of Martha and Mary. I struggle to be both of them every day… but I forget that Mary had chosen the best activity – the one Jesus praised her for. Why? Because chores will be there always… children will not – they grow up and raise their own children. They influence the next generation with what we taught them by our own actions.
Luke 10:38-42
38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41″Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.“
Sorry about all the deleted comments. You can delete the empty ones! Blogger said it couldn’t complete my request both times and then I thought it erased the first one! Ugh.
WOW! From the mouth of babes….
Wow! This post almost made me cry because I can relate. And it is a lesson for me as well. It is so important for us to pray and to start off the day with praying and when we don’t do it — one thing after another happens and it causes us to become so busy that we forget our first priority. Thanks for sharing.
Oh, I can *so* relate to your words! Thank you for sharing this experience, and reminding us how our children are often somewhat of a compass in guiding us back to God and what’s important.
Out of the mouths of babes.
Reminds me of Mark 4:39
…Peace, be still…
As mothers we are constantly on the go and one thing leads to another. We need to just be still sometimes and hear that still small voice.
Blessings to you and yours this Christmas season!
Laura
p.s. mine is up at http://laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com/2007/12/ministering-to-others-without-much.html
I think we call all relate to this story. What a precious gift our wee ones are! Thank you for sharing. I would like to add, that not 5 minutes before I read this, my 2 year old, who just woke up — blankie in hand, no pants, and tossled hair — stood 5 feet from me asking me for ’something.’ I didnt want to get up, I wanted to play on here. A minute or two later, I heard that same audible voice, ‘your son needs you.’ And with that, I got up. Why? B/c there have been too many other times where I have not, and then well, you know what that makes us mom’s feel like — you described it perfectly!
Thank you again.
What an excellent example and testimony. Sometimes I think we forget what we’re doing, lol. Honestly…here we are typing about being good mothers while the opportunity to act upon it is knocking on the door of our hearts. Let us be careful to do more “doing” then “talking about it”. Excellent example. Thank you Amy!
Thank you Gevan
Thank you Amy
Thank you Jesus!
With tears and conviction and heart warmed by grace!
Sheila
That’s SO TOUCHING, Amy. Thanks for sharing!
This was a wonderful post; I think most of us can relate to it. I do the same thing way too often – thanks for the poignant reminder.
~Andrea
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/andijeane/508576/
Thank you for the poignant reminder. Your son fought the the giant of distraction with a smooth stone. It hit me right between the eyes, too.
That is so precious. I need to go check on my boys now.
Oh, what a terrific reminder from Elisabeth Elliott and true story from you! Thank you for sharing this!
Blessings,
Laurie
Beautiful story and thank you so much for sharing it. Those moments do serve to slow us down a bit. What I don’t like is that it wears off so quick and I am off absorbed in “getting things done.”