timely

I almost never answer my phone if my children are awake. It isn't because I don't want to chat or hear what's going on or answer a quick question or... whatever. It's because whenever they can even sense that my attention is focused elsewhere, they suddenly turn into wild monkeys. Okay, wilder monkeys. 


So this afternoon when my phone rang, my first reaction was to ignore it. But then I realized they were all occupied with their afternoon show and I wouldn't be interrupted. I picked up to hear a friend from church on the other end. She was calling to say hello while she waited in the car to pick up one of her five children from school. She'd been thinking of us and just wanted to check in, asking how things were with the boys. I gave her my usual response - "Everyone is doing great, they keep me busy, they are such good boys..." All true statements. 


But then she said something that hit home. She told me she remembered how hard it was when her oldest two were little. Adjusting to more than one small child in the house, nothing seemed easy, and while it was wonderful, it was also very, very hard. Truer words have never been spoken. At least not today.


I think sometimes I feel the need to only show the rosiest sides of our family life. I wouldn't trade one single day I've had with my boys. They are nothing short of undeserved, amazing, wonderful gifts in our lives.  But man, they are a lot of work. The little menial tasks that fill up my day: changing, feeding, cleaning up after, entertaining, teaching, playing, reading, disciplining, comforting, cleaning up again (and again and again) - leave little time for much else. But, like I said, I'd never trade it. They are who I am - and not in the sense that I've lost my identity to motherhood, but that I've found it. This is who God created me to be, and I am so very thankful.


I am also very thankful for a timely phone call from a sweet friend who had just the right words for me as I started to sweep for the seventeenth time today. God is good, and He knows when to send the encouragement we need - we just have to be ready to listen.