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Most Gracious Lord,
Help us remember, in all the moments of our days, that taking time to cultivate a close relationship with our children is what will open their hearts for you. Give us strength and grace to listen to their dreams, to comfort them in their sorrows, and to make ourselves available for their needs. Help us to remember that they want our attention more than our service. Thank you that you make yourself available to people and that you always make time for each of us.
Amen. -From Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

...my kiddos want my attention more than my service...ouch. the way I show love is to serve...and I'm not so good at giving quality time. ouch. I am convicted that I prefer to take care of the "needs" of cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc, and not give much undivided attention. I have "attention deficit disorder" of the mommy variety. After just a few minutes of legos or reading books or imaginary play, I am bored and thinking of all the household tasks I could do, or e-mails I want to write or check...and so on. I fear that my children will not have many memories of my just playing with them and loving on them with quality time and focused attention. Oh sure, I know they will remember all of the fun outings and play dates I plan and take them too, but I am much better at getting out and doing activities with them than I am with staying at home and playing. Guessing maybe there are a few other moms out there that can relate to this....think it is mostly my sinful selfishness rearing up again, among other sin issues, but this chapter and prayer in the book made me pause and reflect and realize that I can do better, and in trying to give more attention and model Christ, perhaps the relationship that I build will help open my kiddos hearts to Christ. And that, is worth all of the lego sessions in the world. I will play "piggy" and "doggy" and "super heroes" til I am blue in the face if I can "see" the bigger picture of their eternal salvation and my role in guiding them and leading them to Christ...it just keeps slipping away and getting blurry as I focus on the practical needs...so easy to lose that bigger picture