The Sparrow's Nest

Seizing the Holy Moment

As a young mom, I often worry about teaching my children the character attributes they need in order to minister effectively for Christ one day. Will they be merciful, will they be just; when it all is said and done, will they be like Christ? Most often right now, though, I wonder... will they have a heart to serve?

I used to think that I had to "devise" moments of servanthood for them in order to "teach" them how to serve others. Recently, though, I have found that just by being sensitive to our environment around us, there are plenty of opportunities to minister. For example, the other day, we were playing in the backyard and noticed our neighbor picking up sticks in her yard. We were surprised to see her arm in a sling. I called over to her and found out that she had fallen the other day while walking another neighbor's dog. We told her that we hoped that she would feel better soon and that we would be praying for her.

When we got inside, I asked Christopher what we could do to cheer up "Mrs. Rosa", as we call her. He suggested we make cookies for her, which I thought was a great idea. We had to go grocery shopping the next day, so I picked up a bunch of irises for her. When we got home, they boys made cards and we ventured over for a neighborly visit. She was tickled to have the company, and I was so proud of the boys. Johnathan still has a bit of trouble staying focused for a length of time, but Christopher stood next to me and engaged in conversation with her the whole time. Before we left, Christopher and Johnathan both told her to "get better soon" (not prompted). After we walked back to our house, Christopher told me that it was fun to visit Mrs. Rosa. I was so pleased with his attitude and willingness to cheer up one of our most beloved neighbors.

God, give us more holy moments to serve You.

A Tasty Mother's Day Treat

This Mother's Day I was unable to be with my mom (I did call her on the telephone to wish her a happy Mother's Day), but I am taking her gift with me to North Carolina this weekend. For her present, I baked and decorated a 2-layer lemon cake with buttercream frosting. I piped a spray of yellow sweetpeas on top. She enjoys it when I make things for her with my hands and she loves sweets, so this seemed to be the perfect gift. :o)

I love you, Mom- I wanted to take this picture so you could see the cake just in case little fingers get into that frosting before it makes it to your house! ;o)

PS- A huge thanks to Kathy for introducing me to the "hot knife" technique to smooth down all that frosting. It was wonderful! If you haven't read my review of Kathy's cake decorating video, click HERE. It's a winner! :o)

My Mother's Days

August 31, 2003

December 3, 2005

Happy Mother's Day!

There's a dear and precious Book
Though it’s worn and faded now,
Which recalls those happy days of long ago,
When I stood at mother’s knee,
With her hand upon my brow,
And I heard her voice in gentle tones and low.

Blessed Book, precious Book,
On thy dear old tear stained leaves I love to look;
Thou art sweeter day by day,
as I walk the narrow way
That leads at last to that bright home above.

As she read the stories o’er
Of those mighty men of old,
Of Joseph and of Daniel and their trials,
Of little David bold,
Who became a king at last,
Of Satan and his many wicked wiles.

Blessed Book, precious Book,
On thy dear old tear stained leaves I love to look;
Thou art sweeter day by day, as I walk the narrow way
That leads at last to that bright home above.

Then she read of Jesus’ love,
As He blessed the children dear,
How He suffered, bled and died upon the tree;
Of His heavy load of care,
Then she dried my flowing tears
With her kisses as she said it was for me.

Blessed Book, precious Book,
On thy dear old tear stained leaves I love to look;
Thou art sweeter day by day, as I walk the narrow way
That leads at last to that bright home above.

Well, those days are past and gone,
But their memory lingers still
And the dear old Book each day has been my guide;
And I seek to do His will,
As my mother taught me then,
And ever in my heart His Words abide.

Blessed Book, precious Book,
On thy dear old tear stained leaves I love to look;
Thou art sweeter day by day, as I walk the narrow way
That leads at last to that bright home above.

Written by: M. B. Williams, 1893

Young Mother Sewing, Mary Cassatt
Graphic Courtesy of Allposters

Big Lesson From a Little Caterpillar

"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
-I Corinthians 15:50-52

Yesterday the boys were out playing in the yard when the unthinkable happened. Christopher was playing with a caterpillar when one of his toys accidentally fell and maimed the poor little creepy-crawly thing. He came up to me with it and asked me, "Mommy, is my caterpillar asleep? He's not moving."

I recognized right away what had happened and tried to break it to him as gently as I could. "Sweetheart, no...he's not asleep. He's dead. You killed him when your toy fell on him." Then came the question I really did not want to answer. "Mommy, what's 'dead' mean?"

Insert big gulp here. This was one of those undeniable moments where I knew I had an opportunity to plant a spiritual seed in my child's heart. I didn't want to blow it. After sending up a quick prayer to the equivalent of "Lord, help me", here is what came out of my mouth:

"Well, Christopher, dead is when you get sick or old or hurt and you kind of fall asleep. But the difference is that you don't wake up anymore. Your body is put in the ground, but your soul, the part of you that is really YOU, goes to be with Jesus if you ask Him to be King of your life. Then, one day, when Jesus comes back, your body and your soul will be put back together, kind of like a puzzle. It is really, really hard to understand, even for Mommies, but that's how it works."

Silence. He was processing what I said. I was waiting with baited breath to see what the next question would be. "Mommy, can my caterpillar just go to Jesus?"

I gave him a hug and told him that no, caterpillars don't go to Jesus because they don't have souls. We get to enjoy them while they are here, but when they die, they are gone. "Okay," was the quiet reply. He ran off to grab a bucket and shovel and I wondered how much of what we had just spoken about actually made sense. About 10 minutes later, he came up to me, grubby face and all and said in a very gentle, solemn voice, "Mommy, I'm really sorry that I killed that caterpillar." After assuring him that it was an accident and giving him a big hug, I told him we could pray about it. "Maybe later," he said and ran off again.

Later last night in the van when we were riding to supper, Christopher suddenly blurted out, "I need to pray." Mr. Wilt threw me a look in the passenger seat. Last week when Christopher said that in the van his prayer consisted of "Jesus, help me to hold it until I get home and help Daddy to drive real fast. Amen." Talk about having to stifle a laugh! Well, last night he bowed his little head, closed his eyes and said very reverently, "Jesus, forgive me for killing that caterpillar, and help him to go to be with You, and help him to be happy and better. Amen."

Lord, help me continue to teach him while his heart is tender. There are times when I am completely overwhelmed by my child's faith. Last night was one of them.

The Prayers of Children

Overheard during prayer after Christopher's "schooltime" today:

"Dear Jesus, Thank you for helping me learn to read. Help me to be a good boy and help me to be clean and help me not to get food on my face. Amen."

The Invisible Mom

"It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being.

I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?'

I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?'

I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:
 
'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become, for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

• No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
• These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
• They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
• The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
  
  A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
  
  I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'
  
  At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
  
  I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
  
  When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'
  
  As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women."

Hat tip to: Kelly P.
Graphic Courtesy of Google Images

Elephants and Child Evangelism

"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." -Deuteronomy 6:6-8

On Tuesday evening, we had a great time attending the Cole Brothers Traveling Circus here in our town. As we approached the "Big Top", we noticed that elephant rides were being offered to the side of the entrance, so we stopped and watched for a few minutes.

I have to say, I don't think I have ever been that close to an elephant before...they are amazing creatures. There was an audible 'thud' each time their feet hit the ground. Their leathery skin was covered in wrinkly patterns, and they stood at least 5 feet above Mr. Wilt in height. Johnathan and Christopher just watched in awe. I leaned down and whispered to Christopher, "Didn't God create some wonderful animals?" He nodded vigorously, not saying a word, eyes trained on the huge pachyderm making his rounds.

It has not always been easy to speak about Christ to my children. Inserting Biblical wisdom in everyday life is no easy task. Why would it be so? In the above-mentioned passage in Deuteronomy, we are instructed to teach Biblical commands to our children on a daily basis, even as "we sit, walk, lie down, and rise up"; so I have begun to make it a point to illustrate Christ in everyday life in our home. When we are cleaning up toys, we are beginning to recite Colossians 3:23- "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." When the boys argue with one another, I Peter 3:8 comes to mind: "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." As I study, I find more passages to recite on an everyday basis with my boys. My prayer is that I evangelize them continually by my words: as we "walk by the way, and when we lie down, and when we rise up."

PS- For an exceptional resource in this regard, check out Proverbs for Parenting, a categorical book of Proverbs to use in training your children, dealing with subjects such as anger, pride, etc. I highly recommend it. :o)

Graphic Courtesy of Google Images

Proof that Duracell Runs the World

I sat Johnathan down with a piece of white paper and a box of crayons today to color. I watched him carefully select the white crayon and start to scribble. He scribbled more and more furiously, until he finally huffed a sigh of frustration and toddled over to me. Rolling his eyes, he handed the white crayon to Mommy and said, "Needs new batte-wies." Evidently the white crayon was broken and needed new batteries to work correctly. Yep, Duracell definitely runs the world.:o)

EDITED TO ADD: It has been contested that the Energizer Bunny, in fact, runs the world. I think it definitely is a "co-dictatorship". ;o)

Buckaroo Mommy

Today the boys and I ventured out to go "treasure hunting" (aka: thrift shopping), and we came across this interesting looking game: Buckaroo. Evidently, it works somewhat like this: you load plastic "pack" pieces onto a mule and when he's had enough...POW! He kicks into the air and the pieces fly everywhere! Mmmhmm...Mommy should have read the back of the box. :o)

Anyhow, we got this thing home and I discovered that the saddle needed some gluing- no big deal for the price we paid. We played the game for a while and the boys ran off to the living room to read books for a bit. As I put the pieces away, the parallel of this game to real life suddenly hit. On a daily basis, how often do I feel like the mule? If I continually allow the cares of the day to weigh on my body and mind, they add up and add up until POW! Finally I feel as if I "just can't take it anymore!" See the mule below: do YOU ever have days like THIS?!?

Exactly. You know that face. I know that face. The "Mommy's Had Enough" face. How to avoid it? We are given wonderful advice on this very subject in 1 Peter 5:6-8:

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

We see several directives for us in this passage which seem to be directed at women to discourage what we tend to do best when we are stressed. The first: Humble yourself under God's hand.  Don't try to take care of the stressful situation by yourself. It's futile, and truthfully, will only add to your stress. The promise? He will lift you up in due time.

The second directive: Cast all your anxiety on him. Why? He cares for you. What an amazing realization- the God of the universe intimately cares about you and the details of your life. Trust Him to take care of the situation at hand. He'll do a better job than you could anyway (this is experience talking here), trust me! :o)

And the final directive: Be self-controlled and alert. Situations such as these are the perfect opportunity for Satan to destroy your testimony with your family and with others. When you feel words coming out of your mouth that you feel are not Christ-honoring, keep your mouth shut. Don't allow a foothold in your life, even for a moment, that will destroy the years of "good seed" you have sown with your children.

As women, we all have "Buckaroo" days. The only difference between those days is whether we give the situation into God's hands or cling tightly to it with our own. We're in for a much rougher ride if we are the ones holding on tight. Let go and let Him lighten your load. :o)