Making the Most of the Time

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Start with something delightful.

Pam Barnhill

“Start with something delightful.” I once heard these wise words from a seasoned homeschooling mom, Pam Barnhill. It was a nugget of wisdom I had the good sense to tuck away. I implement this imperfectly, but I am learning. This morning my littles and I delighted in a stroll through the tall (overgrown) grass in our yard.

Grace girl was sharing how she loves to be with the bees among the wildflowers. And she really does. She’s so gentle with her “sister” bees, as she so affectionately calls them.

So I say, ”Maybe you’ll be a beekeeper when you grow up.”

“Yeah!” she says excitedly.

Then T-Man chimes in, “And I’m going to be a lovebug keeper when I grow up, because I like to be with the lovebugs!”

And my heart just can’t handle how much I adore them.

Don’t get me wrong, they also get under my skin and drive me absolutely crazy at times. Humans can have that effect on each other. But if I’m honest, that usually happens when I am in a hurry; when I don’t want my plans interrupted.

Am I willing to be interrupted?

Part of love and part of mothering is the willingness to be interrupted; it is responding with grace and gentleness in those inevitable moments. I get it wrong a lot, but praise God, my Teacher is kind! I want to be like the Lord. He is the God of more grace (James 4:6), the God who leads gently (Isaiah 40:11). I want to gain a heart of wisdom, aware of the precious gift of time I have been given (Psalm 90:12).

These are the moments, and I don’t want to miss them. In Risen Motherhood, authors Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler say “…motherhood isn’t just made up of long days and tedious work – motherhood is made up of a million tiny moments for worship. All of life is about growing in Christlikeness, sharing God’s love, and seeing Christ’s kingdom established here on Earth.”

I want to be there for every tiny moment. I want to delight in the work and worship that fills my days. To truly do that – to be present for the moments – means slowing down. Taking time. Making the most of the time. Delighting in.

That’s just one more reason I’m so grateful for gospel hope in mothering. Jesus came to rescue my heart from sin and shame, and He came to redeem my mothering. All of my shortcomings, every long, hard day, the times I missed the mark – and every sweet moment filled with wildflowers, honey bees, and lovebugs – are instruments in the hands of our Redeemer. As Jesus is relentless in His pursuit of me, I will be relentless in pursuit of my children’s hearts. I am so grateful for the ways He uses motherhood to teach me again of His lavish grace.

Prayer:

Gracious Father, You are gentle and kind. You give more grace. You redeem every misstep. These are uncertain times we live in, but You are certain. You are steadfast. Teach me to number my days, that I may gain a heart of wisdom. Help me keep watch over my own heart and the hearts of my children, because from there flow the springs of life (Psalm 90:12, Proverbs 4:23).

As Grace girl keeps the bees, and T-Man keeps the lovebugs, by the lavish grace and gentle leading of God, I will keep watch over their tender hearts, making the most of the time.

(Here’s a great bit of encouragement along this same thought.)