Lost Stages

My main purpose in my day to day life is to serve God by teaching my children. It amazes me, though, how often they teach me. Peanut has always been interested in the world. From the moment he came out of the womb he has been attentive and alert, taking in everything around him. I love to watch him discover the world. Throughout his short life he has gone through many stages where he is interested in different things. First it was airplanes, then birds, then dogs, monkeys, horses, lawn mowing, and bugs. When I say "interested" what I really mean is obsessed. When he was interested in birds, he would literally spend all day looking out the window, watching and waiting for the birds to come and go. I spent many hours with him, explaining what the birds were doing, who made the birds and so forth. The funny thing is, I never got bored watching the birds or looking at pictures of monkeys or even showing him the lawn mower man for the thousandth time. I found and continue to find joy in discovering the world with my son.

I'm always sad when a stage passes. Now Peanut passes by birds without a second look. They have become something normal and routine that no longer catches his tiny eye. Yet, they are the same birds he once spent hours marveling at. So Peanut has me thinking, have I become this way with God? How many times a day do I pass Him in His glory, in His creation, without a second look? When I was discovering my faith I spent hours marveling at Him, seeking Him and waiting for His reply. Now, as a mother, I must learn to rediscover Him in the everyday things and remember to seek Him out when I am frustrated, tired and lonesome. This has been my greatest struggle in my faith lately. I never imagined my children would help me in my faith journey so incredibly much. I understand more and more each day the verse "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  I hope to become more like my son, to find amazement in the seemingly small things in life. And I hope that Christ never becomes a lost stage, or a passing interest for myself or my children.