A Good Reminder

A few weeks ago our girly went to spend time with my parents while I got to attend the Beth Moore Conference and hang out with my girlfriends! (I had such a great time that it needs to be a whole other  blog post! FOR REAL! How amazing is our God!?!?)

Before leaving for the grandparent’s house of spoildom there were 2 weeks of WAR at my house! Little girl had decided that, at 10 years old, she knew best and that she was in charge! Oh. My. Heavenly. Days. Is ALL I’m gonna say. I had completely HAD IT and I was ready to ship her off on the next train if that was what it took for my sanity to be restored!

So.. I took her to meet my dad in a town that is almost halfway between here and there and I was ELATED to have time to myself without the talking back and smart attitude. I stopped and shopped for a bit… listened to music that I wanted to hear in the car… just felt a little freedom was a GREAT thing! I just felt like a ton had been lifted off of me and I was FREE!

Later that day the Lord did something that I knew was a reminder straight from Him! I met a lady who was so precious and sweet and just as cute as could be. We struck up a conversation about church and she started telling me of her daughter and how they’d been to church together and how she loved to praise the Lord. She talked about worship and how her daughter worshiped with great abandon and how wonderful it was!

I shared with her that I was so excited to be going to the Beth Moore Conference and that I, too, loved Jesus and MAN was I happy to have some time away from my child! Just for a weekend!!

Then she said it,

“Well, My daughter died a year and a half ago from brain cancer. She was only 21.”

As she told me some of the details of her last days and how the Lord had used her to bring others to Him I just stood there and began to cry! My attitude had been just as bad as my 10 year olds, and while it was good to have the break, I knew in my heart that something in me had shifted. I was no longer grateful for the gift that God had given me. I was aggravated and irritated with her childish ways and I was SOO focused on me!

“I’d do anything to have just a little more time with my daughter .”she said.  “Sick or not… I would not care! I would just love to hug her and hear her voice again.”

God, in His infinite wisdom, knows that I am so selfish. He knows that I am so easily distracted by my own desires and that I get my eyes on myself to a fault sometimes. This lady had no idea how my attitude had been over the past couple of weeks and what a terrible time we’d had recently. She was just sharing and the Lord was just working on me… well, like taking me out behind the shed for a little “talk”!

I got in my car and cried a little more. I was just amazed that God had chosen on THAT day to let me meet such a Godly and loving lady and that her story was what I needed to get my priorities back in order.

Now, don’t get me wrong. That time away was ALSO something that God used to help me be refreshed and restored. I STILL NEEDED IT! I do not regret the time that she had with the grandparents and that I had with my husband and friends that weekend. My family had fun with my girl and it was good for everyone, but that story… that story of loss and love and gratitude and gratefulness and hurt and joy and sadness were all used to help me be reminded that every person in our lives is a gift from the Lord!! We do not have them forever and we should be so incredibly thankful for every minute that we have with them.

I just love how God works. He is more amazing to me every day. I pray that today you are loving those that He has blessed you with and that you don’t take one single minute for granted.