Perspective

Superman came home from work last night and walked into a living room full of blanket/pillow/couch/chair forts, took one look at the very dirty boys hiding in them and asked, "long day?"

 

It had been indeed. Superman had been off to work early, I got up shortly after to try to get a head start on housework, and the boys? Well, they both got up too early for how much they'd been up over night. Ender has had a run of bad dreams lately, and Ezra has been up and down at night for a few weeks now. We were ready and on time for church, but the tears started in the car on the way back home, continuing into lunch (all because no one wanted the same thing as anyone else). There was no good solution for all the tearfulness, so we did what we always do in times of tears- we went outside.

 

It worked for awhile- there were rocks to move, flowers to plant, sidewalks to sweep. The boys are happiest when they are busy working.

 

The fresh air doesn't hurt either.

 

But  eventually there were tears again over sharing tools, and then tears over going inside, even though going inside meant Daddy was on the way home (and dinner needed to be made). I promised fort building while I made dinner, and that calmed things down for a bit.

 

When dinner was ready, the tears came again and no one would sit long enough to pray much less eat. It took a few tries, but we finally made it respectfully through a prayer and through the meal. On to the bath tub, where the arguing and tears hit a crescendo. Superman asked if I knew why everything was going so strangely.

 

I was busy giving myself the "get through the bath, get them dressed, read, get them to bed" pep talk, because at that point I was pretty exhausted. It was quickly followed up by the "woe is me/tomorrow HAS to be better" talk.

 

After getting little boys into pajamas, combing hair and brushing teeth, we read together as we do every night. Everyone was quiet as I read, and if possible they grew even quieter as Daddy read. It was the first bit of peace we'd had all day. I carried Ezra to bed, and he was already half asleep as I put him down and sang to him. I prayed with him, then it was Superman's turn with Ezra. I went into Ender's room to rock with him and sing to him the song I've sung to him for almost 5 years now every night before bed.

 

I prayed with him, and together we thanked God for our family, for our church, for the blessings of our day and for strength and grace as we moved into the next day. I told him again for the millionth time how much I love him, how much Daddy loves him, but God's love for him is so great it is more than Mama and Daddy put together.

 

Ender said, "Tell me more about God."

 

I told him again about Jesus and his sacrifice, I told him again how God calls to us, how God loves us and wants us to walk with Him.

 

"I don't mean tell me the things I already know," Ender said. "I mean tell me more. There has to be more to know about God. I want to know everything about Him."

 

There is so much to know, Son.

 

We pray for you daily, often more. We pray that you follow His path and come to know Him for yourself. We pray for your redemption, we pray for your precious soul.

 

We pray that you will see that you cannot walk alone.