Dear Happy Buddy,
Yesterday you did something that I will never forget.
Yesterday you did something that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Yesterday you had a conviction.
Things were not going well.
I had said it was time for your nap (which also meant it was time for Mommy’s nap :-)) and you bolted from the room shouting NOOOOO.
I felt tired.
Bone weary.
I wasn’t sure I had the energy to do the right thing and shepherd the defiant spirit – redirect your precious heart to His ways.
So I prayed as I picked up toys.
You were silent in the kitchen – the place where your NOOOO had settled.
I asked God for strength.
The house was still for several minutes.
Then suddenly you were at my side, following me quietly as I put the trucks in the bin and the books back on the shelf.
And then you were right in front of me.
Your arms raised.
I picked you up, sensing that the moment was somehow bigger than the two of us.
That something profound and special was happening.
Because when I picked you up, I knew that you had had a conviction.
That the Holy Spirit had moved in your heart to obey.
To surrender your will in exchange for what was right.
Because I picked you up and you said, “I’m ready to go night-night, Mommy.”
I didn’t have to come and get you, screaming and kicking your way to the bedroom.
I didn’t have to talk through the consequences of your actions.
Because you listened to God.
You are learning to love Him and obey Him and surrender your will in exchange for His –
Because He knows what’s best.
I am so proud of you, Happy Buddy.
Mommy loves you.
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation…” 2 Corinthians 7:10
Thank you for sharing this moment of encouragement and conviction!
Such a beautiful moment! And so happy you recognized God’s Hand in this situation. I see God in you both!
Beautiful!
Beautiful. Thanks be to God for giving you the sensitivity to see His Spirit at work. I believe that we do right by our children when we point out how God works in their hearts. Thanks for sharing.
Oh if only we would all surrender to HIS will that quickly instead of running away kicking and screaming : ) I am 54 and still working on this, spiritually I’m only going to be 15 but still no excuses. God bless you for perservering through exhaustion and staying consistent, it was my bigges downfall when I was raising my children w/o God. You are blessed.
Those are THE best parenting moments ever. Like when the little sister I had raised, Diana, came to me after my third miscarriage with a list of scriptures on the sovereignty of God. I had been so discouraged and disappointed. It wasn’t even the verses that lifted me so much as the knowledge that what I had been teaching all these years had fallen on good soil, and as a result of her own relationship with the Lord, she was able to encourage me now, in my walk of faith.
This post gave me mommy tears of joy! Thanks for sharing.
super precious! i can’t help but to picture myself going to Jesus in the same way. (in fact,
i think i’m going to ask Him if He’d like me to take a nap right now…because i’m willing!) :0)