A Productive Day?

Yesterday was one of those days. When I laid down last night I asked myself' "What all did I accomplish today? Did I do anything productive?" Right away I had to change my train of thought. It's so easy to walk in condemnation when I feel like I didn't do all that I should have done in a 24 hour period.

Yesterday Trae (17) was sick and wanted momma to take care of him. Ruthie (18) called from college saying that she was so sick that she's going to the doctor. She wanted momma to take care of her too. As a mom I felt like I should have been able to come up with a quick solution to make my kids feel better no matter how old they are.

I started thinking about when they were toddlers and there I was pregnant again. People thought we had lost our minds and didn't have a problem saying it to our faces either. Boy, did we learn how to control our tongues.

One day in particular Ruthie & Trae were just trying my patience. I didn't have much energy. I was pregnant and I looked like I was carrying twins. Clothes were piled up in the hallway waiting to be washed. I had a sink full of dishes that were there from the night before. Then I realized the juice from the sippy cup found it's way onto the kitchen floor. Oatmeal was all over the tray on the high chair.

I finally stopped in the middle of the hall way, sat down in the pile of dirty clothes and started to cry. The kids were running and dancing around me saying "you ok mommy?" No I wasn't ok. I needed to get it all out. So I kept crying. It felt so good to feel sorry for myself. After all, whoa is me who already has small kids, pregnant again, feet swollen (by this time my nose was even swollen), house that needed tending to, etc.

Why was I feeling sorry for myself and having a pity party? Could it be that I was so self-centered at that moment that I didn't realize that everyday is not going to be like this. I had to remember that my kids are a blessing from God. I needed to see them through the eyes of Christ. I didn't have to be the perfect mom. I didn't have to have the house immaculate. I didn't have to have an elaborate meal on the table that night. What I did need was to cherish this day, this time that I have with my children.

When I finally pulled myself together, I looked up and Trae's nose had been running and he used his sleeve to clean it. I then took a deep breathe, smiled and proceeded to cherish my kids.

That was a productive day. I was producing children that will someday impact the world. Now today my children are impacting the world around them and it's only the beginning. They are world changers. During the early days of mothering and still today, I always tell them, "You're not a follower, you're a leader. You don't follow the trend, you set it."

So if you're sitting in a rocking chair nursing a baby, you're being productive. If you're changing your 10th diaper of the day, you're being productive. If you decide to cuddle up and watch a movie or read a book to your kids, you're being productive. If you're cooking that same casserole dish for the 2nd time this week, you're being productive. If you're home alone during the day keeping house, you've being productive.

Never under estimate your productivity. Who knows, you just might be producing the next Billy Graham.