This Little Life of Mine

Sometimes we need to take a recess from our own life in order to fully appreciate what we have. Little Miss Sunshine and T-Rex spent the past week with my Mom and Dad in Ohio. They’ve gone to Grandma and Grandpa’s by themselves before, but never for a whole week. It’s the longest we’ve been apart since they were born. When I talked to them on the phone, I could hear the excitement in their voice, and there could be no doubt they were having a wonderful time. My mom assured me they were eating her out of house and home and that they were sleeping well.

I spent the majority of the week at the Speak Up with Confidence seminar here in town. It was such a blessing to be able to put my head down (or would it be Up?!) and focus on the seminar and make some incredible new friends. I was at peace knowing my kids were in great hands. Ked and I even squeezed in a few dates!

But by Saturday night, I was watching my clock awaiting the sound of the car pulling into the driveway. They arrived home and I dashed out to the garage and my heart melted at the sight of their sleepy heads each one tilted to the side, cheeks flushed with sleep.

I felt whole again. Not in the sense that my children complete me, but a piece of my heart had been missing this week.

Today, I found myself thoroughly in love with this little life of mine. I played store. I ran the video camera while Little Miss rode her bike on her own without training wheels for the first time. I snapped pictures as T-Rex tried so hard to keep his bike upright and not use the training wheels. We had a picnic lunch in the yard, and I stifled giggles as Little Miss picked up her plate and moved to the sidewalk when a tiny jumping spider joined our party. I thoroughly enjoyed spending a couple hours with new neighbors getting to know them and laughing together as we watched our kids gang up on Ked with buckets of water from the kiddie pool (he started the game and he nearly lost!). I caught myself humming worship songs from the conference while I cooked some sausage for our home made pizza.

It felt good to just be together. To cook dinner. To eat together.  To have a day of doing the small little things of life that we so often take for granted, yet really are what make up most of the sum total of our lives. I wanted to soak each one in.

I had an incredible week of learning and growing and dreaming of the future and opening myself to God and saying, “I’m willing to go and speak in your name if you have things you want me to say, and ministry you want me to do.” But it was even more incredible to come home and realize that this little life of mine is simply beautiful. If God never opens any other doors to love on people beyond the ones I have right now in my own home and in my own neighborhood – it is perfect just the way it is. Anything beyond would be extra blessing.

Have you had a chance to step back from your regular routines and return to realize just how many blessings really are in your life right now? I’d love to hear your stories!