What a Day!

Wow! What a day and it is only 8:45 a.m.

This morning started out pretty much like most other mornings. Trav got up and got ready. I got up and got ready and then got the kids up to get them ready. Usually I get the girls up and get them ready for school and out the door by 7:25 and then I eat a quick breakfast and then sit down with my cup of hot tea for my quiet time with God. Now if it is a day that Leighton has pre-school or speech I make sure he is all ready to go and then he watches T.V. or plays while I have my quiet time until it is time to go. Well today he didn't have either so I had got him his breakfast when the girls ate but he didn't eat much of it, which is not unusual.

He had told me yesterday that his blankie was dirty and needed washed. So I had told him we would wash it today. Sometime during breakfast and pestering his sisters he again reminded me that his blankie was dirty and needed washed. So after the girls got on the bus I thought I would put it in the washing machine with Brenna's bedding. Well when I went to take it from Leighton, he wanted no part of it. I picked him up and took him and his blankie to the laundry room. Trying to laugh and tell him I would just have to put him in the washing machine with it. I pulled it away from him and put it in the washing machine. Now usually he likes to put his blankie in a watch it for awhile in the machine but today it just made him mad!!!!

I put him down and let him scream for a while thinking he would get tired of it and find something else to do. And beside that I need to have my quiet time. So I got my cup of tea and headed into the living room to get busy. He wasn't letting up and it wasn't very "quiet" so I picked him up and took him upstairs to his room and told him if he wanted to scream he could do it in here and when he was done he could come out. I returned to my seat in the living room to continue reading my Bible. Now he decided since he wasn't right with me he would get my attention by kicking his door while he screamed. By this time I was getting tired of all this so I decided I would let him get his blanket out of the washing machine soaking wet if he wanted it so bad. Now, I was thinking that he might try it but wouldn't want it because it was so wet. So I headed upstairs and talked to him about how he couldn't kick the door and that his blankie was soaking wet and if he really wanted a soaking wet blankie we would get it. He said he did so we headed back to the laundry room. He fished out the blankie but didn't know what to do with it since it was so wet. I told him he could either put it back or hold the wet thing. He decided to put it back in.

I tried to explain to him that the washing machine would be done in a few minutes and that we would put it in the dryer then he could have it. If he went to the bathroom (which he had not done since he got up and hour before) then he could watch Scooby Doo or Thomas and when that was over his blankie would be done. Well he didn't want to do that he just wanted his blankie. (I really thought he was starting to get over having his blankie all of the time!) So since he was calmed down again, or so I thought, I went back to reading my Bible. He soon started in again with the crying and I tried to ignore it.

One of the passages I was reading was in Mark 6:21-43. The title of this section is Jesus Heals in Response to Faith. This story comes right after Jesus had just healed the demon possessed man and sends the demons into the herd of pigs and the town people tell him to go away. So Jesus gets in a boat and heads back across the lake and is greeted by a large crowd waiting for him. One of those in the crowd is Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, who's daughter is about to die and he asks Jesus to come to his house and heal his daughter. Jesus heads off with him and the crowd thronged behind. Now I have read this story many times but today while reading this in the midst of Leighton's fit about his blankie I notice that another familiar story is tucked inside of it. The one where the lady who has been bleeding for 12 years reaches out and touches his robe in faith to be healed. Here Jesus is on a mission to help this man Jairus and his daughter and he notices that someone else needs him. And what does He do? He stops and takes the time to notice her and talk to her. The healing had already occurred but he still stops. She is frightened but still admits what she has done. He tells her "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed." While he is still talking a messenger comes up and tells them the bad news that Jairus's daughter has died. Jesus still goes to finish the job he started. He tells Jairus "Don't be afraid. Just trust me." They go on to the house and Jesus takes the girls' father, mother, and his three disciples into the room and tells the girl to get up. She immediately did and her parent were absolutely overwhelmed.

That is when it hit me. I was the one on the mission to have my quiet time (Jesus and Jairus on there way to heal the daughter) yet God needed me to stop and deal with Leighton (the lady with the bleeding). If Jesus, King of Kings, could stop in the middle of an important task to do something equally important wouldn't He understand I needed to take a minute out to deal with the son He has blessed me with.

Oh Dear God, Thank you for reminding me of my purpose right now in this season of my life. You have given me three beautiful blessings to train up in the way they should go and I thank you for that. Help me to see the times you need me to be your hands and feet not only to my children but anyone you put in my path. In your Son's precious name Jesus. Amen.

By the way, after stopping to talk with Leighton again and seeing he had striped off his pajama bottoms and underwear and was laying by the front door. I went back and finished my quiet time. This time it was much "quieter". And by the way while writing this I have enjoyed my cold cup of tea and heard 30 times "My blankie done now". I am also grateful no one showed up at the front door to see my son!!!