Tripping Over Typeset

This morning, my almost 17-year-old woke up, made herself breakfast and began working on her school before I even tumbled out of bed. I came downstairs and she was already dressed and ready for the day.

How did this happen so fast?

I hear her saying she has to get ready to leave for work… but in my mind, she’s just this little girl with ringlet curls saying,
“Mommy…me and my dolls are going to have a tea party. Do you want to come?”

How did this happen so fast?

As parents, we pour into our children day in, day out…one looonnnng, exhausting day after another. I remember longing to stay in my bed and not answer to “Mo-m-my” calling me from my slumber. I remember wanting just one uninterrupted hour of blissful alone time but it never seemed to quite happen. I remember those days….and sometimes still live those days…

Days of toddler monkeys hanging off the shopping cart, begging for things they didn’t need; poking at their siblings and driving me crazy. And in the midst of it all, some older, wiser one would come and admonish me to cherish these moments— “They go so fast!!” , they would say. I would smile nicely and wonder if they would like to relive any of those moments with some of my kids while I go sip a latte and get a pedicure!

I’m caught in this dichotomy. My three “olders”… as I call them… are becoming these amazing people right before my eyes. Learning to drive, balancing their bank accounts and planning their next missions trip abroad.

At one end, I have this older teen getting ready for the world and at the other end our little 4-year-old steals my heart every morning with: “Mommy… I love you!” He dresses himself also… maybe not with anything that matches but he is covered!

How do I balance this… this letting go and clinging to?

It’s sometimes a struggle. Yet when I let go, I see God working and molding them into the plan He has designed. I cling to the Truth that He has them and I see His Faithfulness unfold. It’s amazing to watch.  I stand back in awe and simply whisper, “Thank you, God!”

Those exhausting days of pouring into their lives…

…reading the same stories over and over…

…establishing invisible boundary lines during long car trips…

…cleaning melted crayon out of the dryer…

…discovering hidden treasures of stones and sticks in the pockets from their adventures…

…scrubbing endless jeans and knees…making everything clean again…

…exhausting days…

but rewarding days.

I find myself sometimes watching…watching the mom with the toddler monkeys and oddly wishing for those days again….but just for a moment… then I snap back to reality, walk away and go get my latte!

All this time passing…all this growing up stuff happens fast. So I’m learning to cherish both ends of the spectrum—As our oldest discovers driving and SAT testing; and our youngest digs in his sandbox and plays pirate ship.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. ~ Psalm 90:12,14,17