Thank You Jesus

One of my favorite things to do is going to watch my kids perform.  Be it a dance recital, Christmas program, soccer game, preschool program, Spanish program.  It doesn't matter, it makes my heart happy to see my kids doing their best for Jesus.

Last year I went to a Mother's Day tea in my daughter's class.  This would pry be a great time to give a little info on her classroom.  It's not your traditional classroom.  At all.  She is in the Spanish Immersion program at our school.  What does that mean you ask?  Well, she is taught all day in Spanish.  Every subject, except art, library and music.  When I go to her classroom I hear lots of chatter, but don't understand 95% of it.  But she is THE cutest blond-hair, blue-eyed little dutch, Spanish speaking kid I have ever seen.  I am a bit biased though.

Ok, back to my point.

So I went to her classroom where she and her fellow Spanish-speaking classmates got up and sang a song. And honestly, all I could get out of it was "Thank You Jesus," the rest was all foreign to me.  But by the end of the song I had tears rolling down my face.

Shift gears to a dance recital I attended at which two of my daughters were set to perform.  As I sat in my seat and watched them twirl and clap and tap to the rhythm, my eyes again filled with tears.  They were both just doing their best, it wasn't perfect by any means (but man were they cute).

Shift gears again to the baptism of our youngest child.  Our son was in Kindergarten and his class had just finished memorizing Psalm 23.  A friend sang "Children of the Heavenly Father" and broke in the song just long enough for my son to recite that beloved Psalm.  Tears were everywhere on my face that day.

I was a hot mess.

My husband is very aware of the need to carry kleenex in his pocket any time we are going to watch our kids do something.  It is to the point now where he pretty much knows what my breaking point is, and just quietly offers the kleenex without wondering if the tears are there.

So this morning I went to chapel at my kids' school.  And as we are standing there singing about Jesus being our superhero, and then later listening to the same friend that sang at our daughter's baptism sing "Praise the King" my eyes once again filled with tears.

I am just so amazed that the same God that made the universe also made these little people that I love with all my heart.  He gave them life, he gave them each this unique set of talents and interests.  He has written a different story of each of them.  He loves them all the same.

And I am blown by all of that.

So when I see them doing these ordinary things, like singing and dancing and reciting scripture and kicking a soccer ball and building a tree house, I am a little overwhelmed that my God loves me enough to bless me with these kids.

And I often wonder if He looks down on me, just trying to do my best at what He has asked me to do, with tears in His eyes.

Many people continue to ask me how my fast is going.  And I can honestly say that I feel God leading me more and more everyday through this.  The same God that made the universe and blessed me with my kids, also cares about me and my silly little fast.

Thank You Jesus for that.


Please note that our kiddos are in no way shape or form perfect.  And I am certainly not a perfect parent, nor do I claim to be.  Pretty sure I mess up more than I get it right.  But if you mess up one of those kids that God blessed me with, you will see my momma bear side come out...and the tears will be yours.