Last Friday night, Noah went to a sleepover, Elizabeth and Steve went out for father/daughter date night and picked up some groceries as well, and Emma and I stayed home to have our together time. Emma wanted to have hot dogs and chips for supper (healthy!) and so we fixed that together and set out to play lots of games and color. Early in the evening the phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and asked Emma if I could take a short break from the game and talk on the phone for just 5 minutes? Her face scrunched up, her shoulders dropped, and her lips pouted as she shook her head 'no' and said 'momma, pleeeeease don't.' So, I didn't. She was so happy and felt so important. And I was convicted over the number of times I tell my kids 'later' or 'not right now' or 'in just a minute' or 'after I get off the phone'. I don't believe that I talk on the phone all that much and I also believe that each of my children need to learn patience and to wait their turn and to not demand my attention at every possible second. But at the same time, I wondered about people that work outside the home and how they have certain meetings, phone calls, and other work with clients that requires them to devote their undivided attention....and that during these times they don't stop to take personal calls...and that its not offensive to the one calling that they are not taking that call because the person calling knows and understands that when someone is at work that they can't always be available for personal calls. It occurred to me that my time with my children should be just as important (or even more so) than those important meetings at an outside job! And that it is okay to let the machine get the call and for the caller ID to let me know who called and when, and that it is okay for me to check that later. God has called me to be a mom and I want to be a good mom. Other people will probably forget that I didn't always answer their calls, but years later I want my children to remember that they were a priority for me every single day. There are many, many GOOD things to be doing, but I want to pour myself into what is BEST.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Je$us, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:1-11
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