When my first son was about five months old, I become obsessed with infant sleep (or lack thereof). I read books, joined online forums, consulted my mom-friends, and generally drove my husband insane with my obsessiveness. Five months or so later, I realized I had lost perspective. Sure, I wanted my baby to sleep (long stretches, right now would be lovely), but in the end, was my goal as a parent to raise a fabulous sleeper? No. What I really wanted to do was to raise a child who loved God with all his heart. To help keep my focus in check, I posted this motto on the nursery door: It's just sleep not Godliness.
These days I have three little ones at home: a preschooler, a toddler, and an infant. At the end of many (most) days, I feel vaguely as though I've spent my entire day refilling sippy cups and making sure some one (besides me) made it to sleep at the right time. While hydration and rest are important, in the end there's something bigger and of more lasting significance that I want from my time at home with my children. I want them to be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:17). I want to be intentional in cultivating in them a knowledge of God and His deep love for them, as modeled by our love for them.
Last Christmas, as the season passed, I realized that Big Brother (then nearly 4) was old enough to understand the significance and the meaning of Christ's birth and that I, in the bustle of the season, was missing the opportunity to convey why it all mattered. I resolved to do better, to be more intentional, and to shift my focus beyond refilling sippy cups and nap routines to what really matters; yet, I continue to get lost in the urgent. I begin this little blog with the hope of holding myself accountable to focus on the big picture, the long term goals, the forest and not just the trees.
Ephesians 3:17-19 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
