Distractions or Reminders?

It has been some time since I last blogged! I have found that there have been too many distractions in my life to actually sit down and think. I no longer dwell in a quiet, ordered and predictable home! As happens in many families - the adult children have flown back to roost - literally! Accompanying them are their 3 gorgeous little children (aged 4,3,and 1) and their much loved rough collie pup, Indie! So our home is now filled to the brim - 4 adults, 3 children and 3 dogs! It is no coincidence, perhaps that my husband's work commitments have increased and 

he is working 10 hrs a day - sometimes 6 days a week! 

But as I write this blog - the house is quiet and peaceful. 

All three kiddies are asleep and tonight's dinner is being prepared for me to enjoy. There are some benefits I have discovered and sharing the cooking is definitely one of them. Despite the chaos, the noise, the mess and the chores - the past 4 months have been a joy. I have been re-directed to a younger time of my life. The cuddles in bed with the grand-kids remind me of lazy Saturday mornings cuddling my own kids in bed until the game of hiding under the 

blankets became way too rough to handle. The bedtime stories remind me of the magical world that I once enjoyed as a little girl wrapped up in the Folk of the Faraway Tree. I can see myself flying through the air as a child as I push the kids on the swing and jump with them on the trampoline. Even the mealtime chaos reminds me of the patience and perseverance God has developed in my character through the gift of parenting. To be able to share with my kids and grand-kids, the everyday moments of their lives creates in me a sense of fulfillment and completion.

 I am proud of the way my kids parent their kids - each of them with different priorities and different strategies - but all of them with a steadfast love and affection for their children. How wonderful to be able to see them bestow this gift of love on their children. 

Is this how God feels about us? Does he delight in us as we delight in our own children and as we love others in our world. This is what every child and every adult need - to know they are 

completely loved. 

As 2011 draws to a close - I find that the distractions of my busy household are actually reminders of One whose love for me is totally complete. He has watched me grow up through the tantrums, the tragedies and the triumphs of life and He still holds me in the palm of His hand and whispers my name.