The Simple Life at Home

My sweet daughter is off this morning on her very first "official" babysitting job. I say official, because she's been asked to babysit several times before, but the parents have always asked to leave their child here at our home. I suppose that is because there she's under my supervision, therefore, their child is as well. Which is fine. But now, someone has placed enough confidence in her to entrust their very precious children solely to my daughter's care. And I'm a wreck.

Not because I don't think she'll do a great, no, fantastic job. She has gone through the Safe Sitter course, where she was trained in CPR and how to handle tricky situations like misbehaving children, minor injuries, safety, etc. She loves children and is terrific with them. In fact, when her birthday fell on a Sunday this year (12 being the magic age when you can work in our church nursery) she was so excited because she would be able to volunteer the very day she turned 12! She volunteered at VBS and I was told several times that she was one of the best and most responsible crew leaders I had in the preschool area. So it's not that I worry about her abilities.

The reason I'm a wreck is because this is a significant step in her becoming an adult, in my mind at least. No longer needing a caregiver herself, she is now the caregiver. She's grown so much in the last year. She often makes dinner entirely on her own. She can do her own laundry quite well. She's proven herself to be very responsible as she's taken on more and more responsibility with her education. She's beginning to set goals for herself. In short, she is growing up into a very fine young lady.

God grants us these children but for a very short time, in which we are to disciple them, raise them to be productive adults, and teach them how to love and raise their own family. I read a quote somewhere, and I apologize for forgetting where, but it said, "The days are long, the years are short." That struck my heart, because, yes, indeed the days are long as a stay-at-home mother. And when you homeschool, they are endless, it seems. While other mother's children go off to school, our's remain with us all day, every day. It can be exhausting. But never forget that the years are short. Most of us will have our children with us for about 18 years. That sounds like forever, but in reality, the time flies by.

It seems like yesterday that I had an infant and a toddler, nursing one with another one at my feet, while I stood in the kitchen, talking on the phone and stirring spaghetti sauce. Then as each moved into their school-age years, they seemed so grown up. And in just a few short years, they will each move into adulthood to seek out their own lives.

So moms, don't forget to hug your children and, even when you are weary remember that you have been granted a very precious gift - the gift of time.

And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” Hebrews 2:13