Trying times and tender memories...

I know that these days are very trying times for families, as well as times that our children will remember for the rest of their lives. There are always going to be trials, and our children learn to weather the trials by watching their parents. I was thinking back to my own childhood today, during a time when I was experiencing double ear infections, and the doctor could not get them to clear up. Week after week, I would struggle with rupturing eardrums, and at the ripe old age of eight, I was sure that things could not get much worse.

Christmas was approaching, I had missed most of the crafts and festivities at school in past weeks, and there I was, confined to bed and totally miserable. I will never forget one very special day with my mom, though. On the day of my class Christmas party, my mom got all of the other kids off to the school bus, and then came in to the bedroom with a sly look. Times were so tough for our family then, and the financial outlook for a festive Christmas was grim. However, my mom had splurged on a small package of styrofoam balls, a bottle of white glue, and two tubes of red and green glitter, and we had a blast that day. While she taught me how to drizzle the glue onto the ornament in patterns and then sprinkle the glitter onto the glue, she shared some stories of Christmas when she was a child during the Depression. I loved the ornaments, but I was mesmerized to hear about her life "back in the olden days."

I will never forget that day or the love that my mom showed just by sitting there with me, sharing her stories and passing the day with me, when I knew that there were many other things she could have been doing. That's what love is all about, isn't it? As parents, it is sometimes difficult to see just how much our worries and concerns impact our children. It isn't until we actually catch our breath, sit down, and share some time as well as some of ourselves that we all begin to realize that love is the key ingredient.

Now, everytime I see styrofoam balls, I am reminded of that time and the lesson of love. Think about it today, and try to trust Him. I read a great message on a church sign recently: "You cannot worry and trust God at the same time!" I like that.

Blessings,
Amanda B.

Phil. 4:6-7
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