Why Motherhood is About Slowing Down

There are some things in life that I do quickly.  A desperate load of laundry on the 27 minute cycle.  Unloading the dishwasher in under 4 minutes.   From bed to car in under 10 minutes.

But there is an underlying rythym in my life and it is a slow as an old grandfather clock.  

Steady.

And I think of the tortiose and take a deep breath and I suddenly do amazing things like-

Trust God to give me the energy I need to clean the house up later, because now my little boy wants to lay in bed and read Frog and Toad.  

Go to the soccer match happening on the pitch in the backyard. My box seat is waiting. Popcorn included. 

Pick up color crayons and a scrap of paper because one sad little girl needs to get a note from her Mama and another busy girl needs my love written down for her, too. 

Confess my unkindness and impatience to my little guy. His angels always behold the face of the Father, so who better to pray forgiveness over his Mama?

These are the moments that are heaven on earth.  When the difference between here and there isn't any difference at all.

Take Elizabeth Barrett Browning and put her in a board book and you come up with lines such as these

"How do I love you?  

Let me count the ways.

I love you on your very best and very worst of days.

I love to hear you singing. 

I love to see you smile.

I love the way you take each day in your own unhurried style."

This pace is slow and sometimes the beat is hard to find under the sound of my own selfish frustrations.

So we ask, please Lord, help us to find you.  Be with us.  Fix us and bind us together.  Let Your kingdom come. Amen.  And then we watch it happen right in front of us.