Category Archives: The Christian Walk

August 15, 2011 · 5:00 am

Relaxing My Way Through Kindergarten

My firstborn is starting Kindergarten.

That sentence alone should tell you exactly what my emotional state is like right now.

I keep thinking to myself, “Thirteen years. That’s all we’ve got left. Thirteen short, precious years.”

Maybe that’s melodramatic, but I don’t care. See, I’m one of these moms that enjoys being with my children. I enjoy their presence, the routine, the activities, the daily grind, and the very blessing that I have in being a stay-at-home mom.

When I first began my career as a teacher, I wanted it to be just that– a career. I had no plans to take any breaks from teaching, and I wanted to hit that 30 year mark to retirement exactly 30 years after I began.

But life happened. Children happened. And I suddenly realized that I didn’t want my children in daycare and that the Lord was leading me in a whole new direction. And stay-at-home Mom I became.

And now that it’s my baby starting school, I am all mixed with sadness, excitement, anticipation and nerves. He’s cool and calm– I’m biting my nails to the quick.

Will he like school? Will he excel? Will his teacher have the kindness, patience, and goodness of heart to deal with his train obsession? Will he make friends? Will he enjoy the next thirteen years?

I’m working through the devotional Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. I’m sure many of you are familiar with it. A recent devotion started off with RELAX.

Okay, so God was speaking to me. It went on to say, “When you walk through the day with childlike delight, savoring every blessing, you proclaim your trust in me.”

This sentence made me think of my son and his happy-go-lucky personality. He’s going to be great in Kindergarten. It’s me who needs to relax.

I’m hearing ya, God, and I’m trusting. But do me a favor– slow down the next thirteen years a little. And I promise to try very hard not to cry (a lot) when I walk Big Man into his classroom the first day.

Share with Me: What was kindergarten like for you? Do you remember your teacher’s name? Did you go all day, 5 days a week? When your children started school, how did it affect you emotionally? Do you remember your mother’s emotions when you started school?

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August 8, 2011 · 5:00 am

Where God Put the Moon

I took my boys to swim at my parent’s house the other evening, and although the sun had not yet set, the crescent moon was high in the sky.

My boys sat on the steps of the pool and began screaming at the moon, shouting for it to come down and swim with them.

Finally, my two-year-old looked at me and with the most frustrated face I’ve ever seen from him said, “Mama, the moon won’t come down here!”

I gently explained that God put the moon in the sky and it had to stay there.

After a moment of contemplation, my son looked back at the moon and shouted, “Okay, moon! You stay there where God put you!”

Occasionally the words of children are exactly what we need in just the right moment. Stay where God put you.

Often I’m guilty of wanting to make changes. I sometimes don’t like circumstances in my life and I think to myself, “what would it be like if things were different?” When I encounter troubles, I imagine that things would be easier if I had just been born in a simpler time.

But sometimes all I need to remember is that I’m right where God put me– in this moment in time, in this nation, in this family, etc. God knows my past, present and future, and I am right where he wants me to be.

Instead of rushing into changes I hope will someday come, I am reminded to look around and enjoy the many blessings he’s provided by creating me specifically for this fleeting moment in time. I am reminded that living in his will is what he planned for me all along.

Like the crescent moon staying put in the sky, I want to stay right where God put me. There is no greater, more perfect place to be.

Share with me: Have you ever considered how your life would be different if you had been born in another time? If you could have had the choice, in what time period would you like to have lived?

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Tagged as Jennifer K. Hale, moon

August 1, 2011 · 5:00 am

I Had a Bad Day

I had one of those days.

One of those “the-regular-dose-of-Tylenol-to-kill-this-headache-is-not-enough” kind of days.

Not the kind of day that happened to me, but the kind of day that happened because of me.

The kind where I ended it as a failure at life. I failed as a wife, I failed as a mother, I failed as a friend, and I failed at everything I tried to do for the 24 hours I was given.

I don’t say this for pity’s sake– I say it because it’s true.

My attitude was so bad for the entire day that I did absolutely nothing of any worth to contribute to the world in any possible way. I took out my negative feelings on everyone around me.

For any steps I had taken in forwarding my life toward the good work of the kingdom of God in the past few weeks, in one 24 hour period, I took 500 steps back.

And I have no one to blame but myself.

I actually said to my husband, “If today was my last day on earth, this is not the way I would want to go out.”

I think we’ve all occasionally had this kind of day. I think we’ve all gone to bed at night and looked back over the day and said, “what a waste,” knowing that we could have been productive, but we allowed our emotions to get the best of us.

And I know we’ve all had the sort of day when all we can do is drop to our knees and beg God’s forgiveness for the mistakes we made, and the feelings we allowed to drive those mistakes.

This is why mercy is so important. Days like this are proof that God’s mercy is constant, unwavering, and undeserved.

Days like this are why I am so incredibly grateful that God’s mercies are new every morning, and that I get my do-over with the next sunrise.

And I’m not going to waste it.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Share with me: Have you ever let your emotions dictate the path of your day? When is the last time you had a bad day? How did you overcome it?