Weeds, Joy Thieves, and Time

My soul has been refreshed from two very odd sources today and I thought I would share. This morning the boys were watching some inspirational performance clips from America's Got Talent. I happened to catch a clip in which there were a group of primary school aged children doing a performance with their teacher. In prefacing the performance, the teacher said, "Some have great voices and others are just really enthusiastic." Simon said that he was definitely stealing that line.  If I only listened to the "sound" it was terrible really. But by the end I was blown away. You see, God reminded me of the simply joy and innocence that children possess. It was beautiful. By the end, no one cared what they sounded like. They were smiling and enjoying that moment in time together. Sure, there was lots of work and sweat put into that performance. But when it all came down to that moment, it didn't matter. It didn't matter they really didn't sound that great together, it didn't matter if the performance looked "chaotic,"... those smiles and the celebration of success at the end, brought streams of tears to my face. I am often a joy thief to my children. As a matter of fact, I brought Jackson to tears this week when I got upset that he could not name the continents. How ridiculous, right? My focus often gets blurred by such petty things. And if I really am honest about the root of it all, it would come down to fear. My anger wasn't at him. It was driven by fear. Fear that I am not an effective teacher, fear that he will not learn what he needs to, fear that if he doesn't learn certain things he will be labeled unsuccessful if he has to return to public school one day... All of which is absolutely absurd! You see, I am at war with a joy thief myself. I have to be on guard not to let those untruths become truths in my heart. I am thankful for the reminder that my true joy comes from Christ and is not dependent on my outward circumstances. Those innocent smiles, laughs and hugs shared by those children were such a gift to me today.

A couple of hours ago Jackson and I were outside. In true Jackson fashion, he picked me a flowering weed and handed it to me. He told me to smell it and he snapped a picture with my phone. When we finished our little outside wandering, we started walking up the hill to return to our camper home, a home that many would argue isn't a fit home for a child. Jackson said, "Mom, I love our memories. Thank you." As he finished this, he put one arm around my waist and squeezed a little. Oh how I needed reminding that my investment in my children and people are not in vain. I often cling to the top two from the Bible: love God and others, but it is sometimes hard. Today, my nine year old reminded me how important it is to just be present. No large production needed. Just uninterrupted time. Please know that your minutes are not wasted when spent when another human and with nurturing your relationship with God. Your actions, time, and presence can be such a gift to others. Don't spend all your minutes on fruitless things. Invest in things that matter. Even weeds can become beautiful.

As I reflected on this, I thanked God for people in our life that are willing to invest minutes in our lives. Of course, our families are usually looking to get some minutes in with us, but there are others who do so as well, and they are such a gift to us. In July John Gannon and I made the trek back to MS for his ortho appt. alone because Jackson was attending a day camp that week in TN.  It was just an overnight, quick visit. But guess what? Our sweet friend Kathy took time out of her schedule to spend  with us. And guess where at? The waiting room of the doctor's office! That is love. But hey, we got in a couple hours of memories that will last a lifetime! I am so thankful for her willingness to make time--even when ours and hers is sometimes limited! I am sure that due to her time investment in our family, this is why Jackson often processes if Kathy is part of our family. We have all concluded, yes...yes she is!

Again, never discount the impact you can have on others. God can use you in such great ways in the lives of others. Quit trying to evaluate your effectiveness...just be present. 

Live a Meaningful Life!