Loving the Little Years

I am reading the book, "Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches", by Rachel Jankovic right now. I love it. Rachel is a young mom of young kids living the very struggles- big and small- that all of us moms are facing on a daily basis. I had to take a break from my Disney recap to share some of the wisdom that God has blessed her with...

In one chapter in particular she warns against trying to organize your children into order. Remember to see them as children... individual souls formed by God... for YOU to parent. They are not tasks to contain and check off the list. She says:

    "Christian parenting is a pastoral pursuit, not an organizational challenge... Look to each of their souls and their needs. If you are focused on upkeep of the HOUSE and the SCHEDULE (emphasis mine), as long as your children don't interrupt you, you don't worry about it....
      Be a pastor to your children. Study them. Seek them out. Sacrifice the thing you were doing to work through minor emotional issues.
      ...You may have known families who seemed to have it all together. Everyone to his own military bunk. Dinner from the crockpot at 6:00 p.m. on the dot. Family worship... children quietly doing dishes. With all that organization can come some serious neglect and hurt. So while your children are little, cultivate an attitude of sacrifice. Sacrifice your peace for their fun, your clean kitchen floor for their help cracking eggs, your quiet moment for their long retelling of a dream... Prioritize your children far and away above the other work you need to get done. They are the only part of your work that really matters."

I love that last line and pray that God makes it a reality in my heart and my life... "Prioritize your children far and away above the other work you need to get done. THEY are the ONLY PART of your work that REALLY MATTERS." In a world that tells us the important things are a clean house, perfectly prepared meals, trendy clothes, a fit figure, matching smocked outfits, perfect family photo ops, elaborate trips and a full social calendar, it is a struggle to remember all this is nothing, NOTHING compared to the precious commodity of our babies' hearts.