Week 2 of school and it's much harder to get out the door in the mornings than it was on day 1.
Lukas did pretty well this morning, but Stefan was dragging his feet. I had to play the mean mom and insist that he was going to school despite the variety of illnesses he suddenly claimed to have. When I asked him why he didn't want to go to school he said, "I just hate getting up in the morning!" I can't blame him for that, but I also couldn't let him stay home.
I went into the kitchen to get their breakfast and let the dog out, since Lars is in Arizona and I'm on my own for a week. When I went to retrieve the dog (he's small and has to be lifted in and out the back door), I discovered our neighbors' German Shepherd that weighs more than I do had decided to venture into our yard. Again. I grabbed Pudge and brought him in, thankful that at least we have a small dog.
My father-in-law drove the boys to school today, and as soon as Stefan saw that "Papa" was taking them he was fine. One problem solved. The neighbor dog wasn't phased by getting sprayed with the garden hose, though. Second problem not solved.
Once they were on their way I was ready to head to work. I put Pudge in his kennel, opened the door from our kitchen into the garage, and hit the button to open the big garage door. Before I knew it, the neighbors' dog ran right into our house. Fortunately she turned around and ran back out after I yelled at her for a few minutes. It must have been quite a sight!
By the time I got into my car I was glad to just take a deep breath. I thought of Psalm 46:10, which says, "Be still, and know that I am God," and wondered if I will ever again have time to be still. And then God put a school bus in front of me and forced me to slow down.
It seems like recently the time I spend in the car is the most quiet I experience all day. The drive to the office after dropping the boys off at school is my time to surrender them into God's hands - something I have to make a conscious choice to do on a daily basis. The drive to pick them up at the end of the day is a chance to lift up the concerns of my family and friends. I guess God must have known I needed a little extra time this morning, since he put that bus in front of me on the short drive from our house to Youth Haven.
I suppose I could have gone around the bus, but I actually enjoyed those few extra minutes before being thrust into the day's work. (If the boys had been in the car with me I would have heard, "Just pass them, Mom!")
In his book The Life You've Always Wanted, John Ortberg suggests that we should each find times within our day to intentionally slow down. Don't pass the slow-moving school bus. Choose the check-out lane with the longest line. Most of the time, slow drivers and long check-out lanes frustrate me. Today I took Ortberg's advice, and it was refreshing to drive a little more slowly and talk with my Father.
It seems strange that my car should be my special place to spend time with Him, but as a busy mom I'll take what I can get.
2 comments:
What a great reminder! Thanks Amy! My time to spend quietly is in the shower. Probably why the gas bill is so high as I drain the water tank. :) But you are right. Slowing down is very important.
And I would've loved seeing you hosing that dog!! :)
Actually, it was Lars' dad who sprayed the dog with the hose. It was pretty funny, opening the door and seeing that. He said, "This dog was bothering your cat." It was not at all what I would have expected but in a weird way it made me feel very taken care of with Lars being gone. :)
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