Monday's Making it a Home...lovings with lotion

Ok, so this blog is coming a day late. PEPCO left us without power yesterday for over 11 hours! NO power means no internet and no laptop. But here is my Monday's post of how I am trying to make my house more of a home.

I could share with you how I organized the office nook in the corner of my sunroom all day yesterday (the only room with sufficient light since we didn't have power). That definitely made our house more homey but I really feel that God is showing me the importance of making my daughters feel "at home" instead of just running through a daily routine or having orders barked at them. Put your shoes on, stand here, drink your milk, go potty, pick up your toys, do not hug Moose, come here!

Sunday night's bedtime routine was no exception. God really put it on my heart to take a few moments to bless her instead of picking the short books for her bedtime story and rushing though her bedtime songs. We had a craZy weekend!!! It started with a 7AM prayer meeting Saturday AM, out of town guests, community block party, a shortened nap time, dinner with friends, a craZy Sunday AM with me pawning her off someone in the church so I can set up Sunday School, a lunch with 30+ friends, no nap, ice cream with our friends before they headed home and then her Poppy leaving her to go to a Sunday Night small group. Poor thing was spent. I was spent. She was spent. We all were spent. All I wanted to do was rush through her bedtime routine so I could take a HOT bubble bath. But I heard God whisper to me to spend extra time with her.

I put Lydia to bed and grabbed the baby lotion. I went into AB's room, read a new book I had never read her, then I read a classic 'Mommy-Anna Book'. As we put on PJs we said her prayers. She sat in my lap as I read her her bible story. And then I put lotion on her legs and arms. She was very unsure of it and thought it tickled. But then she loved the way it felt on her skin. I continued to lather it on her and silently pray over her. She continued to giggle. Then, I picked her up and put her into bed and rubbed the lotion on her feet. She loved it. We sang her 2 songs and then I turned off her lights.

All I could think is I myself would love for someone to pick me up, rub lotion on my feet and tuck me in. If I felt as spent as I did, surely she picked up on my stress and had stress of her own. What an honor it was to love on her with lotion and lather her in silent prayers.

Thank you Jesus. Please keep teaching me.