Playing Tennis

Embrace this time. One sunny morning this was what I heard from the Holy Spirit at a moment where I needed to make a choice. Read on to hear the whole story.

The sun is shining and the weather is just perfect. Finally, the kids can get outside to play. Analiah and Caleb raced to the backyard and started playing. I headed for a patio chair with a book in hand. I put my feet up and settled in to read. The next thing I heard was “Mommy, can you push me on the swing?”

It was hard to resist the hopeful look and big smile from Caleb, our 3-year-old. I headed over and pushed both Analiah and Caleb. “Higher Mommy, higher!” The kids wanted to touch the sky. After pushing them for a while, I thought to myself “Surely, I can settle in to read now.” After all, I was reading this great book called What a Difference a Mom makes by Kevin Leman. On my way back to my chair, Analiah paused me to show me all the bugs around the patio. She made sure I saw every single one. Analiah was quite proud of the bugs.

Afterward, Caleb and Analiah both settled into playing with each other. I settled into my chair and began reading. I was several pages into the book when I heard Caleb say “Mommy, can you play tennis with me?” At that moment, I had a choice to either continue reading or play tennis with Caleb.

I’ll be honest, I hesitated. My thoughts were “Why can’t I just read for a few minutes? I am reading about being a better Mom. Isn’t this a good thing?” At that moment, the Holy Spirit whispered into my heart. “It’s a great thing to read about being a better Mom. This book will always be available for you to read. But these precious moments with Caleb will not always be. Embrace this time.”

So, I closed my book and headed to play tennis with Caleb. We hit the ball back and forth. I guarded my face several times when he hit the ball right at me. Caleb talked up a storm about many different topics. It was precious time that I would have missed out on.

I wish I could say that I always listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit but selfishness gets in the way. But, I have learned along the way that this time with my kids will not last. My oldest is nine soon to be ten years old, next school year I will have three kids in elementary school and my youngest Caleb will go to preschool. These years go by way too fast! I am learning to embrace these special times with my kids.

How about you? How are you embracing these precious moments with your kids? What book or project will you set aside today to really see your child? Please don’t miss these moments that matter!