Sammy is quite the repeater. If he is thirsty he will say, "Sambo wants water. Sambo wants water. Sambo wants water. Sambo wants water please. Sambo WANTS water." All the while you are getting the water, but that doesn't seem to matter. Anyway, it can be very waring on the nerves, but lately he has started one repetitive phrase that found it's way into my heart.
Every night these days I rock Amelia to sleep. It is beautiful in many ways, and frustrating in others (another post for another day, perhaps). One of the things I love about it, though, is that Sam is sitting in his bed right next to us and I get to hear all of his little chitter chatter while we are rocking away. Quite a few nights in a row he was repeating to himself the phrase, "Jesus love me. Jesus love me. Jesus love me." Over and over again. Then he would just curl up in his blanket and go to sleep. Oh the sweetness. As I sat there I tried to think about ways to describe to him what Jesus's love looks like in our life every day. Little did I know, He would give me a living example for myself in just a few days...
Joel took the babes to play at a friends house and I stayed home to clean. All was well and I was really having a great time until, suddenly, my inner critic reared it's ugly head. " Good grief, Jenny, why can't you get it together and get a cleaning routine together? Then you wouldn't be running around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to catch up! You say you want a tidy, clean home and yet you never do anything about it...." and on and on until a heard another little voice. Sammy's. Straight from my heart came his little voice saying, "Jesus love me." I sighed and sat down, soaking in the fact that despite my weaknesses, Jesus does love me--without reservation. I plunged ahead with my cleaning until the critic came again to say, "I really don't know why you are wearing work out clothes. Do you consider pushing a vacuum cleaner exercise? Seriously, there are so many mom's around you who manage to find time to take care of themselves...you really need to grow up and learn to prioritize." Then suddenly I heard Sammy's voice break through again, "Jesus love me." "But I really do need to grow up." "Jesus love me." "But I really am lazy." "Jesus love me." "But,"
"Jesus love me".
I gave up and just rested in the fact that He does love me, He does delight in me. He wants to encourage and refine, yes, but He also just wants me to rest in that love and that grace. That grace that washes all of our sin away and makes us new. That grace that recognizes our weaknesses and uses us to spread His love anyway.
Oh how I thank Him that He speaks to us, straight to our hearts.
So, little Sammy, you keep on repeating that truth and I pray that your soul will come to know that your Maker, and Savior, and Friend does love you indeed.
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5 comments:
Oh Jen - if you could see the tears streaming down my face right now...thank you for sharing that sweet moment with us. It is always good to be reminded that Jesus does indeed love us...and how neat that the Lord uses the little ones to show us just how much!
Thank you, Jenny for sharing that. So much. I too am teared up. It gives me ENERGY when I remember that Jesus loves me anyway I am. It gives me energy and lifts me out of my "depression" about something - whatever it is at that moment. And I don't remember it near enough. THANK YOU LORD for talking thru Sammy to us!! OUt of the mouth of babes!! Lvoe you, Shan
THANK YOU. By the end of this very chaotic, frustrating and exhausting week I had I was driving home Friday evening thinking, I have done NOTHING well this week. I have so many things going on and "too many irons in the fire" these days that there is nothing I am doing well! I was feeling pretty down on myself.
This post completely made me rethink about the week I had... and brougt chills to me... because Jesus DOES love me... even when I have one of those weeks where everything I do is just not up to par because there is just not enough time, not enough energy, not enough patience, not enough... fill in the blank.
Thank you to Sambo for this incredible lesson... for ALL of us. Thank you for sharing friend.
Girls of course Jesus loves you no if and or buts regardless of our successes or failures and I find most of my failures are in my mind. Remember girls you are doing the most important job God has for you. You are raising little souls for Him. The reason sweet Sam knows Jesus loves him is because you are teaching him that truth. Please don't do what alot of us moms did and let that inner critic tell us what is important to do because we all wish we could do it over and worry less about the house, the body and just have fun with our babies. As a nana when I have Bailey I don't do one other thing on those days but be with her and I think those days are my most productive. I know you can't do that but just remember life is a balancing act and sometimes that means we don't get it all done and sometimes that means we get it all done but not as well as we would like. That is life and life is about glorifying God. It is hard for me to believe that a cleaner house or a better body glorifies Him more than spending time with your babies. As Mom Frey told me once upon a time "honey you just need to relax". Wise words from one of the wise. I love you all and I hope this encourages you all that you are doing what matters most even on those days you are just surviving. beth
Jen, in my attempt to keep you mommas from beating yourselves up I forgot to tell you. I think this story about Sam is the sweetest I have ever heard. I am so happy he knows Jesus loves him and goes to sleep at night with that thought. What an amazing little mind and what an awesome testimony already. I have thought about it all day and smiled and of course it reminds me and comforts me as well. I can't wait until Bailey knows Jesus loves her.
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