Change of Heart

Lately, with disturbing regularity, I have found myself exceedingly frustrated and angry over things which, really, are so trivial and insignificant. This morning, I decided to do something about it. With heartfelt prayer, I placed my day in God's hands and asked Him for help to be more patient, loving, and kind. Immediately I felt uplifted, hopeful, and ready to start my day. Never underestimate the power of prayer! Throughout the day, as I encountered minor irritations, I tried to react in a manner completely opposite of what I would usually be inclined to do: so when I felt like yelling, I whispered; if I was tempted to spank, I hugged; when I felt myself ready to use my voice in anger, I used it instead to remind my kids of how very much I loved them, and how lucky I was to be their mommy. When Dylan and Caitlyn wanted to play with every single Fisher Price Little People set they own (and there are many!), rather than complaining about the mess, I helped get them down and set them up. When they wanted to have Cheetos and soda at 4:00 in the afternoon, I let them. And I found myself having a great time! We read stories. We made puzzles. We drew pictures, sang and danced, watched cartoons, and really enjoyed just being together. After dinner tonight, I was starting to get things ready for bed. My plan was to have everyone down early so I could have at least a couple hours of sleep before going in to work at 1:00 a.m. Instead, here's what happened: Dylan noticed that the sprinkler was on in the backyard, and while Darren and I were distracted, he raced to his bedroom, stripped off his clothes, and put on his swim trunks. Then he dashed back outside, jumping through the spray of water, and he was just so ecstatically happy that all I could do was laugh! So instead of getting to bed early, Darren and I sat together at the patio table for a while, watching Dylan and Caitlyn play, and then it was back into the house for baths. Bedtime came much later than I would have liked, and I sure didn't get much sleep, but truly, I wouldn't change a single thing about today. It was perfect. I am at peace. I am happy. I am so very, very blessed.