Category: Different Moments

I over-analyze things.  I used to blame it simply on the fact that “I’m a guy”, and we love being right all the time, and being critical about things that we hear.  But my daughter firmly put me in my place a couple days ago, and made me realize I may be passing on more to my daughters than I realized.  🙂  It was pretty cute, really, and I think I’m okay with the results so far.

We were sitting at the breakfast table, talking about the Bible verse our whole church is memorizing this week.  I’m thankful for the giant chalk board my wife Sarah acquired for just such purposes.  Sidenote: I’m even more thankful to be blessed by a wife/mother of our children who sees a chalkboard as a functional piece of dining room decor.  What would be better, a generic painting of flowers and a french cafe….or a chalkboard to teach our kids scripture during the everyday moments? 🙂  Take that, Martha Stewart.  I love my wife.

Back to the story:  This weeks’ verse is incredibly easy: “Pray Continually” from 1 Thessalonions 5:17.  I’m pretty sure we’ve got it all memorized.  The difficulty comes in explaining what the word “continually” means to a 5 year old and 3 year old.  So I talked a bit with them about breathing.  We breathe continually, often forgetting that we’re breathing.  It’s not something we’re always aware is happening, but we are always breathing in (deep breath), and breathing out (deep breath out).  I sat back and smiled at how clever I was, watching my girls take deep breaths, and making the connection.  Until Addie finally spoke up:

“Daaaad, we don’t always breathe.  You can NOT breathe when you go underwater.  That would not work.”

I was surprised at her response, and nodded. “Well, you’re right Addie, that would definitely not be good.  But we do breathe most of the time, right?  So you can see how God wants us to be praying all the time, so it becomes part of who we are?”

She was still thinking. “Well, I guess if you had a snorkel, you could keep breathing.  Then you wouldn’t have to hold your breath.” She closed her eyes and nodded to herself, as if she’d not only proved me wrong, but fixed my statement all in one conversation.

Whoa.

And she’s only 5.  Look out world, my daughter is coming, and she’s listening to every word you say. 🙂

The weather in Central Illinois has suddenly and dramatically changed.  We’ve gone from a couple of the hottest days of the summer last week, with temperatures above 102 with 95% humidity – to evenings touching down near 50 degrees this week.  We still need rain, even though I’ve enjoyed not mowing for just about 2 months now.  But the weather has provided a nice change in pace in regard to “outdoor times”.
We moved into our new home in mid-April, and it was well into the summer before the new house felt more like our home.  So we are experiencing great weather without the stress of “setting up home” in many ways for the “first time”.  The heavy blanket of summer heat has finally lifted.  It gives us a chance to slow down life, and change pace not only with what we’re doing, but where we are doing it.  I like it.

More than once this past week, we’ve taken our quiet evening moments (okay, some not so quiet, as giggles drift down the street) outside to the porch.  Sipping hot chocolate with our kids, or just enjoying a bit of “Favorite Part of the Day” discussions, it has been beautiful time of slowing our pace.  I blame my wife for this, as my natural tendency would be to continue to “check things off the list” of what needs to be done before we fall asleep.

As we go around the circle, asking “What was your favorite part of today?”, we mentally go through everything the day held.  Yesterday there were an amazing number of great experiences.  It was our oldest daughters’ first day of homeschool.  The day began with new activities/projects, and amazing rainbow waffles my wife worked on late into the night to perfect.  They even had a field trip on the first day of school, and took pictures of Addie’s “favorite things”.  So when we asked the question, we waited, anticipating the moment she would declare “Favorite Part”, and we would know all that effort was not in vain.

Her response?  “Mmmm, hot chocolate!!”

Often we get that kind of response.  Whatever the most immediate source of smiling on the time-line of “today” is, wins the award.  Our children can be great reminders of “living in the moment”.  Usually we see this in regard to not worrying so much about tomorrow, but it also extends into the past.   The pains and the joys from the past day are not worth as much as this moment, sipping hot chocolate on the porch with my family.

May God continue to use our children to remind us to slow down our pace.  May we let go of controlling tomorrow, and being controlled by yesterday, that we might enjoy this moment and be fully present with those we love…