Happy Mother's Day, a bit early! I'll be celebrating Mom's day this year with my youngest sis in law and her newly wedded husband, so I thought I'd share this little tidbit from a few years back, when I wrote for the Pennwood Farms Newsletter:)  This was over four years ago, but the memory is still quite vivid!

4/20/08

 The Dandelion Diaries

Four chubby hands shoved fistfuls of bright yellow flowers at me this past week.  The smiles on the faces of my two youngest, both boys, were as sunshine filled as the yellow in the vile weed they clutched in their hands.  Ironically, I was, at that very moment, plotting how to destroy the insidious weeds that were creeping onto our freshly mowed lawn.

The boys would run, barefoot, across the grass, and painstakingly pick one flower at a time. They would trek the entire length of the lot to get the furthest flower, and then run full speed back to the deck, ready and willing to present me with their treasure. “E’re da go, mom; dese foe you!” my 3 year old shouted.  “Momma, wook!!!” squealed my 2 year old with excitement.  This process was repeated until my Dixie cup runneth over with dandelions, some root and all (Thank you, boys!!)

Now up till that moment, my day was filled with “to do” lists, and my mind was revisiting some conversations that left my heart weary.  And in one blissful second, my sweet little boys changed my heart, and the course of my day, and in turn, the way I chose to interact with everyone else from that point on.  I certainly saw the glimpse of Jesus in their eyes as they pulled me out of doldrums of simply “doing” life instead of “living” life. 

I settled my racing thoughts, stopped pouring over the “to do” list (and put down the weed killer!) to allow the beauty of spiritual pruning by a couple of dirty, noisy, weed toting little boys.  And in that moment, I felt the weeds in my day shrivel, as I realized the true beauty of what was before me.  I allowed myself to find the joy that was anxiously knocking at my heart. And you know what? I even picked a couple of those weeds myself! 

I won’t lie; it’s not always roses in my house. Babies get sick; friends go through crisis; family struggles rage on.  The dandelions continue to pop up; that’s life.  I’m simply learning the difference between pulling desperately at the weeds, trying to rid them all, and pruning the weeds so that they may be turned into something more meaningful and perhaps, even beautiful…

 

By the way, no little seedlings will come from my yard to yours!  I have a “picked clean”  yard and 3 vases filled with bright yellow “flowers”!

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"

                                          ~ 1Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Father, whisper your sweet saving grace into my soul today, that I might be renewed to be joyful always. Thank you for the little moments, even the challenging ones, that affirm who I am- a daughter, sister, wife, mother and friend. Be with the mothers who struggle, who grieve, who are lonely, who yearn for more; I pray they find your guiding light. And gently remind me, when I try to do this "motherhood" thing on my own, that YOU are what I need to survive the crazy insane moments that test my spirit. Thank you Lord for blessing me with the title "Mom".  

Happy Mother's Day to all, whether you are a mom or love some one like a mother loves, may your day be blessed and renewed in HIM!