MOTHER OF TODDLERS
MOTHER OF TODDLERSBy Bonnie Sampson
(Bonnie wrote this one evening after one of “those days” with little ones!)
As I sit on the couch and breastfeed my babe,
There’s a clattering sound down the hall,
I squeeze my eyes shut with a frustrated sight
And lift my voice and call.
No reply hits my ears, so I unlatch the babe
And race to the scene of a crime,
There’re cupboards wide open and food on the floor,
She’s been having a wonderful time.
In the midst of the mess sits my small, cute offender
With the guiltiest look on her face.
“Patience! I think and I slowly exhale,
Shooting speedy prayers upwards for grace.
She’s just being curious, exploring the world,
Making messes is what toddlers do,
I don’t want to spend her whole life saying “No!”
And she’s young, she’s not even two!
Being a mother just stretches my patience
And wears it down really thin,
Toddlers are constant, chaotic people
Always exposing my sin.
But sin exposed, as I look to the cross
And see hanging there my Lord,
Giving up all in a maelstrom of grace,
Heaven’s joy his final reward.
I fall on my knees and worship the God
Who showed limitless mercy to me,
Who saw all my sin and still went to the cross,
Forever setting me free.
If my Jesus could give up Himself, even die,
And if love demands mercy and grace,
Then I can be patient with my children at home,
So I scoop her up in my embrace.
I marvel again that God chose me
To love and to raise this one,
Oh, Father grant grace and patience
And make me like Your Son.
~ Bonnie Sampson.
Bonnie was one of my lovely Above Rubies helpers. She lives in New Zealand and is now married with two darling little girls, Shari and Hazel.
Hannah Bronn was also an Above Rubies girl from New Zealand at the same time as Bonnie. And now she is engaged to the brother of Bonnie’s husband. Isn’t that special? And they didn’t even know one another before they came to be with us here at Above Rubies.
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