Truthfully, I am tired. The kids rarely ever sleep a full night. I could count on one hand the nights both kids have slept the entire night. A good night for us is waking only 2-3 times. We will not even discuss the difficult nights. (Well, not in this post, anyway.) As you are probably aware, kids have an internal clock that is precise and predictable. My older daughter wakes and is ready for the day everyday by 7:00 a.m.--no later than 7:15 a.m. No, never, not ever.. Yes, that includes Saturdays. Yes, still 7:00 a.m. whether or not she goes to bed by 8:00 p.m., whether or not she naps during the day, whether or not Mommy slept 3 hours or 6 hours. She has been this way since birth. My younger daughter, however, is more like Mommy. She would sleep later in the morning if her older sibling didn't feel the whole house should wake when she wakes.
The holidays came and went quickly. Carlisle was, as you know from earlier posts, born on Christmas Day. So, you can guess just how busy Christmas Day is around here. We wake up for the customary opening of gifts Christmas morning. We have lunch with my family and do the exchanging of gifts with them. Then, Christmas is cleared away and it is birthday party time. More food, more gifts. Finally, it is birthday/Christmas with Daddy and the paternal grandmother. Still more food, still more gifts.
Because Christmas fell on Saturday this year, all the hoopla was over when the full week of no school began. The first couple of days were just too cold to do anything. On Wednesday, Chick-fil-A dessert and a Walmart trip with my sister was a nice break, but by Thursday, we had to get outside. Fortunately, the weather was an unusual high 60's kind of day. Armed with a McDonald's Caramel Moca and two chocolate milks, I took the kids up to our local "square" and let them run under the strung Christmas lights and play in Santa's sleigh. Both girls "performed" on the stage in the empty amphitheater. It was so refreshing to hear them laugh and watch them run full speed without a care in the world. They sang and danced and laughed and tumbled. I sat back, watched, and as you might guess, took pictures. It was truly a good afternoon.
So, why am I telling you all of this? Our approach to the unusual, the out-of-routine things that come our way, can be the difference in a stir-crazy, walls closing in on you kind of day or a run with total abandonment, dance with all of your might kind of day. When we begin to feel trapped by our circumstances, we must step "outside" of ourselves. Otherwise, our frustration grows and more times than not that frustration is thrown onto the little darlings who stand closest to us. Of course, their reaction is insecurity and it is manifested in any number of ways like tantrums, weepiness, clinging, etc.
When we can take a mental break, clear our heads and get refocused, answers start to come. A still, small voice can only be heard if the spirit is quiet. Many times I have been in the middle of chaos, but I could hear the Lord so clearly because my spirit was at rest, at peace. My mind was clear even though my brain was in full gear. Other times, it was His voice that quieted my spirit.
How do you "get outside" of your situation especially if you are in the middle of the supermarket with kids crying and rude checkout personnel? Take two seconds, breathe this prayer:
"Lord, I trust You."Say it as many times as you need to. You can say it under your breath, you can say it in your mind, or if you choose, shout it from the rooftop! I have found that all three are just as effective. Sometimes, the rooftop shouting will not only quiet your spirit, but you'd be amazed at what it will do for the crying kids and the rude supermarket clerks!
1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you."
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