Mommy After God's Own Heart

The Preferred Start Of The Day

Every morning I try my best to start my day with the lord. Some days that means saying a quick prayer while curled up around my 1-year old while she sits and watches Disney Shorts in bed with me. Other days, if I'm lucky, it means reading the daily 'My Utmost For His Highest' that my dad texts me the link to regularly. Some days, when Charlotte feels particularly active, it means heading straight for the Facsimile album I have on standby. Regardless of what my morning routine exists of, I try and start the day with God.

This morning did not start that way.

My morning started per usual, Charlotte threw her puppy out of her crib and started berating me with her chorus of 'DANK YOU. (thank you) DANK YOU (thank you)

.' directed at me, still trying to hide under the blanket for a few last seconds of sleep.

'Okaaaaay! Mommy's commmmming!'

I swoop her puppy off the floor and a little curly headed bundle of polkadot footie pajamas is instantly cuddled up against me. We plopped down in bed and within 30 seconds of me curling up around her, my head was suddenly drenched in puke.

Before I even had a chance to exhale a sleep 'Dear Lord,' my daughter had wretched last nights 5am bottle all over me, herself, and puppy.

'Oh no', says my daughter, in her tiny breathy voice, 'boppee' - her way of saying 'puppy'

The Actual Start Of The Day

In a scramble to clean bottle barf off all three of us, and in an attempt to keep the puke on us and not the blankets, I whip off her footies, grab a clean diaper from the pail next to me and sponge my head, and grab 'boppee' by the tail. Before I even had a chance to start my day with the Lord, I was covered in baby barf, darting to the bathroom with a puppy in hand and a diaper on my head.

Dear God! My soul cries out! In my moments of puke covered weakness, keep my thoughts on you.

This story is pretty laughable now, with my clean hair, clean baby, and clean puppy, but this moment in my life encapsulated so well what is my daily struggle.  

Even with the best of intentions, my relationship with God can so quickly take the back seat to the chaos that is surrounding me. Often times, the schedule of daily life is enough to keep my mind occupied and my spirit distracted, but even in my deepest moments of stress and frustration, God is with me! 

God doesn't get distracted from loving me. Though the puke on my head is a more extreme example of distraction, Jesus remember me when he was on the cross. Surly if the Son of God can remember me as he hung on the cross, I can remember him when I'm faced with challenges throughout the day.

And how much more satisfying is it, to love the Lord and follow him, even through the dark times. To have a stable, ever-loving God, who is full of grace and mercy, who loves me, who actively loves me, even when my spirit feels as gross and unfit as my hair felt when covered in puke.

I see the Lord use my daughter daily, to teach me things about myself, and in turn I teach my daughter. When my day started with the retching out of last nights bottle, I wasn't feeling particularly blessed at the moment. A few days later and the lines I've drawn became a perfect illustration for my life and my walk with the lord.

This may have felt a bit rambled, it's been a while since I've taken to the keyboard, but this is the story I have to share with you today, I hope it made you laugh a little, and maybe helped you to draw some lines of your own.