Getting Perspective

Yesterday was a hard day. I woke up feeling tired and grouchy, and made no attempt to conceal my bad mood from the kids. I felt impatient with them, and annoyed about my normal daily tasks, such as serving breakfast and starting the laundry. I felt keenly the stress of having to juggle running a household while teaching 3 grades and occupying a preschooler. Someone couldn’t find their math book….again.

By the time we started our morning devotions, we were already behind on our schedule. My heart wasn’t really in it. But as we began to sing “Rock of Ages”, the Lord convicted me of my sin.

My voice started quavering when we got to the verse that says, “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling, naked come to thee for dress, helpless look to thee for grace, Foul I to the fountain fly, wash me Savior or I die.”

I couldn’t even finish the verse, I was already crying too hard. We stopped singing and had a prayer time instead, in which I confessed to the Lord, before the children, all my crabbiness and impatience.

As it turned out, we got enough work done in the morning to go to the pool for our afternoon recess. On the way home, we ended up behind a school bus. At one of its many stops, a little girl got out, carrying a heavy backpack. She was smaller than my 6 year old Colin, and her mommy was waiting for her at the end of the road, wearing a stylish dress and high heels. They were obviously happy to be reunited.

I thought as I watched them expressing their joy how happy I am with the life the Lord has given us. Not everyone gets to spend their days as I do.

It is true that I often feel tired, and the pressure gets to me now and again. But I am so thankful for the opportunity to be with the children all day, even when it is wearisome. I am thankful that they see me in my pajamas, crying about my sin. I’m thankful that they carry their books from room to room, inside our home, rather than in heavy bags as they run out the door.