Go Ahead, Pick the Flowers

After months of seeing brown and white landscape during the winter, I love when little splashes of color emerge here and there brightening up my garden. Daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, and more -- spring flowers bring me joy.

 

My three-year old enjoys the flowers too. She has picked almost every single one of them. At first I was annoyed. I wanted to enjoy those short-lived blooms longer. I liked to see them brightening the front of my home with their colors.

But when I looked at my daughter, I saw that she was enjoying the flowers too. It was not her intent to disobey or be destructive. She thought the flowers were beautiful and wanted to share them with me. That meant so much to me for her to show me she loved me in this tangible way.

I'm not a perfect mom, and I've learned much and am still learning how to do this job. Many times over the years I have been annoyed with my children because of what they've done --messy kitchen with batter all over the counter when they made me a cake, clean laundry shoved in wrong drawers when they were really trying to help me out-- I focused on the messes and missed their hearts.

I'm thankful that God has opened my eyes to my tendency to do this to my children. I'm glad that God sees my heart and my intentions in the midst of the messes I create. He extends me grace. Why is it so hard for me to do the same to my children? I'm learning friends, I'm learning---

• to look past the messes and see the intent
• to look past messes and see accomplishments
• to focus more on the state of my kids' hearts than the state of my home.

So now I can honestly say,

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