Who Are You Little One?

Just a thought I wanted to jot down.

I have been reading the book, 5 Spiritual Solutions for Everday Parenting Challenges, by Richard and Linda Eyre. I love their books and this is no exception. One of the things they highly encourage parents to do is to think of their children more as their brothers and sisters (because we are all God's children), and to treat them with that level of respect. They also make the point that our kids aren't blank slates for us. Their spirits lived long before they came to us and they each come with their own unique background (gifts, talents, personalities, etc.) I have thought a lot about that lately and it keeps coming into my thoughts as I interact with my kids.

I'm sorry to say today was a bit of a rough day in our house, but tonight Parks fell asleep in my arms while he was eating and as I carried him upstairs to his bed these thoughts came to me again. I looked into his amazingly sweet sleeping baby face and was overwhelmed with the greatness of his spirit and who he already is. I am holding God's son! Who was he before he came to me? I am so excited to see who he will become. I can't help but think it will be something great. Isn't it amazing how these "old" spirits come to us in these little bodies and teach us so much and fill our hearts up with such an enormous amount of love? I could hardly bring myself to put him down because I felt like I was holding this huge package of greatness in this little package in my arms, and I didn't want to let go of it.

Then I thought of my two older kids asleep in their beds who amaze me all the time. I've had a few more glimpses into their spirits because they've been with me longer, and again, I can't help but think they are bound to be great. It has brought me a new level of humility to think of them as my spirit siblings, and I want so desperately to do my best for them. I have three of God's beautiful children in my charge. How did I get lucky enough to be the mom of these amazing little people? And dang it, why do I keep messing up?! :)