"No, we're not in a hurry...."

Mrs. B 2011

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3

As a veteran homeschooling mom, I have known this verse for years and years, as you have, too, no doubt. It is one of the verses that makes our hearts glad when we reflect on the children the Lord has given to us. But yet, even in my older age, this verse has come alive for me again, bringing change to my heart.

My husband and I had the privilege of spending our first Christmas as guardians of our new child. When we became guardians this summer, my husband bought a balloon for me that said, "It's a Boy!" I was thrilled. The Lord only gave one biological child to my husband and me, so becoming the legal guardian of this boy has caused me much joy. It has caused me to reflect anew on how wonderful it is to be a parent or guardian of a precious gift from the Lord Himself. It has also caused me to reflect anew on how wonderful it is to watch a child bring change to hearts.

This really struck me on Christmas morning. The three of us were going to have Christmas lunch with family, so we needed to get up early to get there in time to open presents, too. I started the shower for my new son to make sure the water was not too hot. He took his shower on his own, but after this, I watched over him as he brushed his teeth to make sure he did not miss any spots. I helped him tuck his shirt in properly and saw to it that he did not missed any belt loops, as he often does.

I helped him put lotion and medicine on his feet, then helped with his socks (he wanted to put his shoes on by himself). I gave his medicine to him and served him the breakfast I made for us. As he sat down to eat, he looked at me with the sweetest eyes and asked me in a most sincere voice, “Are we in a hurry this morning?”

That question pierced my heart. With our first son, I remember always being in a hurry – there was always something to get done, always somewhere to go, always something that seemed to pull my attention away from the “gift” sitting before me. And here was another son sitting before me, voicing what the first one never could.

For you see, my new charge, the one I am now the legal guardian over, is my elderly uncle who has been mentally handicapped from birth. His mental capabilities put him on par with a five or six-year old -- he cannot read or write. For all practical purposes, he is and always will be a “boy.” But despite this mental age, the Lord allowed him to ask me an unknowingly loaded question that has the potential to change me.

So, I looked into those eyes and said, “No, we are not in a hurry this morning.” Was I in a hurry? Yes. Were we in a hurry? No. I asked the Lord for patience as I waited for him to finish his breakfast (biting my lip so that I did not tell him to hurry), as I waited for him to get his coat on (taking a deep breath to keep my cool), and as I waited for him to walk slowly and carefully to the car (as some 71 year-old men do). We, of course, arrived where we needed to go with time to spare.

The little ones you dress and feed in your everyday life are asking the same question of you; they are just not at liberty to say it aloud, as my grown uncle was able to. The cry of his child-like heart (and their cry, too) was to sit and enjoy his breakfast with me, to stop hurrying. I want to change my responses this year. In my every day life, I want to be organized in the things that don’t matter so much so that I have time to invest in the things that matter greatly and eternally (and I want the wisdom to know the difference). I want to be able to say to everyone the Lord brings to spend time with me, “No, we are not in a hurry this morning.”

Prayer:

Dearest Lord, You looked up in the tree at Zacchaeus and invited him to spend time with You. You gently encouraged Martha to choose what Mary had chosen – to sit at Your feet. You took Your closest friends with You in a boat so that You could be with them. That meant You were willing to stop hurrying. Oh, Jesus, please put Your heart into my heart.

Challenge:

Re-read Luke 19:1-10 and teach your children a new song. In Sunday School years ago, I was taught to sing the Zacchaeus song by wagging my first finger at the little man in the tree and to say in a scolding voice, “Zacchaeus, you come DOWN…” At our home, we wave our hands in an invitation for the man to come down and sing, “Zacchaues, PLEASE come down, for I’m going to your house today…” That’s what the Lord’s heart is toward us. He invites us to sit at His feet and enjoy Him, to stop hurrying. May it be – in your home and mine.