Heavy Flowers

I sit and swing and watch her as she handles the heavy flowers. The beautiful flowers.

She gets wet as she runs to bring them back to cover. I try to tell her that getting rained on is a good thing for the flowers but she being Ellie, needs to bring them in. 

 I have been so busy lately just trying to do all the things that need to be done that I have

forgotten that the rain during the hard times is good for me. The rain produces deep roots

that fair well in strong winds. I remember this.

Little flowers never worry when the rain begins to blow

because if it never ever rained then they would never ever grow.

The strongest storms bring to life the most beautiful flowers.

Your strongest trial will bring to life the most beautiful of you.

Hard to believe. 

Parenting is difficult but you must travel the path and when that day comes

when you look back, you will wish that you could go back and do things differently.

Our children like people who like them.

Our children are drawn to the people who love them in their life.

Children are simple like that.

They smile at me, they hug me. They love being around me.

I love them and they KNOW it. 

I believe parents overreact and don't stop and realize

that a boy who jumps and rolls and fidgets is just being a normal boy. Don't shame him and yell at him or get frustrated with him.

 Love him because if you don't you will one day wish you did.

Because one day that little boy will find someone who loves him for just being him

and he will leave you and he will not return to a bitter heart.

We're just human like that we stay around those who make us feel

good and who take the time to find out who we are underneath it all.

We tend to think that our children will not notice us not loving them 

by constantly nagging and yelling at them. Our kids know who's face

lights up when they walk in the room. We have to stop and accept them for who

God made them and then love them as God commanded us to.  

Love thy neighbor as thy self.

 Love.

I know the times are racing and the troubles thick but if you need to

reevaluate your life and decide what it is that is causing you to sin against your

neighbor then you must do that quickly.

Your neighbor is that little blonde headed boy that

pokes his feet in your back when he sleeps with you.

Your neighbor is that little girl who refuses to take a nap or the little

guy with the upset stomach.

Your neighbor as a mom should be your children.

I'm surrounded by neighbors and learning to love when love seems

hard or impossible is humbling. When you go before the Lord because

you have no friends who understand and you lay at His feet and he 

gently catches each tear and puts them in a bottle.

When you ride out a storm and you look around for just one person

to ride that storm out with you and you see only judgmental people

through the rain you cry out to the maker, the one who calms the seas and

He will give you direction.  

I sip my hot tea and listen to the rain and wait for her.

I wait for her to bring in all the beautiful flowers and when she's

not looking I put them back out so they can grow.

Love hard today.... breathe deep and look out across it all and

choose to love them just because

God said to.