Little Blessings

The other night, my little man curled up in his bed, his hair still a little damp from his shower a few minutes before, and his mind racing as it always does as bed time falls upon us.

"What if there's a fire? I don't like to jump out of windows," he told me.

"If there's a fire, I'll come for you," I said.

"But what if I get lost in the deep, deep forest?" he asked.

Before I answered, I thought to myself, “Where does he come up with this stuff? Maybe we have been watching way too much Harry Potter movies lately.”

"You won't ever be in the deep, deep forest," I told him. He shot me a look that made it clear this answer was far too practical to satisfy his need for drama.

I amended my response. "If you get lost in the deep, deep forest, I'll come and find you," I said, and he nodded, seeming satisfied with my answer this time. His heavy eyelids started to droop. The 9-year-old wandered in, eager to help.

"Could I sing him a lullaby?" she asked quietly. I nodded, and she sat down and sang softly "Jesus Loves Me" while her little brother held tightly to my hand.

Then the 10-year-old chimed in since he was sleeping in the bunk above us, playing his drum, because we all know that "Jesus Loves Me" is much more effective as a lullaby with a loud and driving drum beat. Well, his playing messed up the 9-year-old, who stopped right at the “little ones to Him belong part” to whack her brother. The six-year-old was so excited by this exchange that he jumped to his feet and began to sing/shriek along while jumping off his bed to dance on the bedroom floor. The two big kids stopped their fighting, suddenly distracted by the fact that “Jesus” sounds a lot like “Cheez-Its.”

The six-year-old continued to dance. The 9-year-old sister continued to pound the older brother while both the older ones continued to shriek their hymn to the little orange crackers.

I laughed, and I wondered exactly where I lost my sweet moment.

I laughed harder, and I realized I didn't lose it at all. I love how God reveals the sweet blessings of my life in everyday experiences of being a mom.

Sometimes as a mom, I get caught up in the moments of how things should be; but I am learning through God’s grace that life is nothing like what it should be but every bit a part of the way God meant for it to be in my life.

One of our favorite family movies is Disney’s Meet the Robinsons. We love the quirky dinosaur with the big head and little arms, the singing gangster frogs, the display of love shown by a family that isn’t ordinary, but what we love most of all is the closing song:

let it go, let it roll right off your shoulder
don't you know the hardest part is over
let it in, let your clarity define you
in the end, we will only just remember how it feels

let it slide, let your troubles fall behind you
let it shine until you feel it all around you
and i don't mind
if it's me you need to turn to
we’ll get by,
it's the heart that really matters in the end

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

all of my regret
will wash away some how
but I cannot forget
the way I feel right now

in these small hours
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away but these small hours
these small hours, still remain,
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away
but these small hours
these little wonders still remain
--Rob Thomas, “Little Wonders”

I am truly thankful for this song. This song got me through the struggles of my divorce, learning to be a single mom, and most importantly the amazing blessings of being a daughter of God.