it's always fascinating to me how my writing comes to being. sometimes, my writing feels very strategic, like a well planned and executed offensive play on the basketball court. lots of time and effort to take the initial idea and produce a well thought out piece. sometimes, my writing is like a fast break, not planned, but nonetheless must be acted upon with no hesitation. both are very satisfying. at this point in my life most of writing is a fast break. there is very little time to contemplate and let ideas marinate for very long, and that suits me just fine. otherwise, i would never write anything,,,, and well, writing is like breathing to me... so part of me would die if i never wrote.
on to today's topic. we have this fabulous night time routine in our house that is one of my favorite parts of the WHOLE day. all six of us tromp up the stairs (sometimes, the kids fly on their daddy's shoulders, sometimes they run for fear of their bottoms being pinched, sometimes they crawl because their legs are "broken") once upstairs, the routine is fairly basic; shower (if it's shower night) clean underwear, pj's, teeth, books, and bed. over the course of the week everyone, even anderson, gets to "read" a story. oh, there are favorite ones that are read every, single week... (snuggle puppy, how i feel, goodnight gorilla, etc,etc,) mark uses all different kinds of accents, and we all laugh until we cry. last night he pretended he had a cold... HILARIOUS!
any who, then we tuck each individual person into their beds. given the day, some receive some extra cuddle time, or tickle time, or talking time.. we try and debrief together and met special needs where we can.
lucy has been having some bad dreams upon late, and we have spent time praying with her about this specific area. last night, as i was getting ready to pray she said, "why do i keep having these bad dreams after we pray, and pray for them to stop?" and herein lies the deepest and most profound spiritual question that many spend their whole lives trying to figure out, "why does God allow bad things happen?"
our whole parenting experience has been about being real, honest, and forthright with our kids. equipping them NOW for so many of the different things they will come across in the future. sometimes, a lot of times, this means answering hard questions. i could have blown past her question and given her an ample "sunday school" reply, but i value each moment God gives me to plant truth in the hearts of my sweet kiddos.
so walk with me, as i try and answer this 4 1/2 year old's question.
"Lucy, we pray and ask God for specific things not because God is a magic genie in a bottle, but because we know that He cares about even the tiniest things in our lives, even our bad dreams. He calls us to give Him all of our worries and all of our fears, even our boogie man fears. sometimes, God does not answer our requests the way we think He should answer our requests. this does not mean that God does not hear us, or care for us. it actually means the exact opposite. God has such a special plan for our lives, that every second of every day He is working in us and on us so that we might become exactly who He wants us to be. He uses every experience to bring us closer to Him. even, and most importantly, He uses really hard stuff, really painful stuff to show us just how much we need Him, and how near and mighty He is. Lucy, first, it is your job to continue to pray that God will remove and use these bad dreams so that you might know Him and trust Him more. And everyday that you don't have bad dreams you are to praise Him and thank Him. Second, you must remember the promises in God's word; He is always with you, He is always good, He is always faithful, He is your Protector, nothing can separate you from Him- even the boogie man. and third, while we wait and hope that these dreams will go away, your Mama and Daddy are here praying with you and for you!"
dealing with the "bad dreams" in life are a given. how to combat them, work through them, struggle, and ask questions, is a MAJOR part of our job. i want to equip my children with every useful and helpful fighting tactic i know of to disarm and persevere under the schemes of the devil.
i want my children to be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus! i want them to bask in the knowledge and understanding that they have ALL they need in their Redeemer, Jesus. sometimes, the mundane of motherhood can squelch the reality of my given tasks... but i am reminded today what an awesome and humbling privilege it is to deliver the gospel to my own flesh and blood; through words, through prayers, through meals, through laundry, and even through fighting off the boogie-man!
here's to defeating all the "boogie-men" in our lives,
~s
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