Ah, My Girl. My wild one. Her busy-ness, her raw craziness, her over the top emotions.... they wear me down.
Sometimes, I'm embarassed to admit, I live for bedtime. I watch the clock all afternoon counting down to the blissful quiet of her in bed. Until, sometimes (like last night), she's not in bed anymore. There's loud feet running, door creaking, and then her little voice asking.
"Can you get me a drink?"
"Will you sing to me?"
"I want to give you another kiss and hug."
"I just need you, Mommy."
My tired mommy response is way too often annoyance. Why doesn't she understand that I just need a minute? A little break before starting all over again tomorrow morning? Because she's 3... and she just needs me.
My favorite parenting verses have always been Zephaniah 3:17
"He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will bring you quietness with His love."
He will bring you quietness with His love."
To know that God feels that way about His children...me? I'm a hot mess of impatience and selfish whining. And yet, He rejoices over me. He quiets me.
And I just need Him.
Tonight when My Girl, my sweet wild one, climbs out of bed and comes running I will bite my impatient tongue. I will whisper to the One who quiets me. "God, I need you."
Then I will tuck My Girl into bed... again. I will sing. I will kiss and hug. I will whisper words of joy over her. And she will fall asleep quieted by my Love.
Because she has me and I have Him.
