Take Time To Look

On September 23rd, our Deborah turned five years old. She seems to be growing up so quickly. I wrote the following thoughts this morning....

“Mommy, look what I did….”
She says, as I’m right in the middle of something.
But I stopped and looked, and I’m so glad I did.
“Can you read it, Mommy?” she says, as she hands me a piece of paper.
And I try hard to read her 5-year-old handwriting.
“I luv yoo, Mome and Dade.”

I’m so glad I looked. She looks so proud of her work, and my heart melts at her concentrated show of affection.

I take her into my arms and squeeze her tightly. I wish she wouldn’t grow up. This age is just so much fun! Oh, please don’t grow up!

“Mommy, listen to my song.”
She says, as I’m concentrating on something important.
“Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus, Because He first loved me.” She has picked it out on the piano.

I’m so glad I listened. She turns and smiles at me as I applaud her efforts. I want to bottle up this moment. This is so precious! I want to hang on to this moment forever. Oh, please don’t grow up!

“Mommy, what does this say?”
She asks, and I feel so tired. “Please read me this book.” I am so tempted to say, “You are a big girl…you try to read the words by yourself!” But that look in her eyes, and her plea for attention makes me sit with her, put her on my lap, and read the bunny story to her for the 10th time that day.

I’m so glad I stopped and took time to read. I’m so glad that this time I didn’t give into my weariness.

She lays her sweet head on my chest, and I smell the shampoo in her hair. Can this moment please last forever? I want to be able to hold you in my lap and I always want you to long to sit with me.

“Mommy, I’m scared. Will you please pray for the robbers not to come into our house tonight?”

My first reaction is to want to say, “Oh, don’t be silly…the house is securely locked.” But I sit on her bed next to her and brush the hair away from her forehead. “Sweetie, Jesus is watching over you throughout the night. Let’s say our verse, ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.’” And I take time to pray and ask the Lord to watch over her and her brother throughout the night…..

I say “good night” and get up to leave….”Mommy,” she calls me back. “We forgot to ask Jesus to give Mimi new tires for her car.” Ahhh! I sit back down on her bed and listen to her sweetly talking to Jesus, asking Him to provide for her Mimi’s need.
“Good night, Mommy.” (She has forgotten about the robbers, her mind having been turned to someone else’s need.) “I’ll see you in the morning!” She smiles at me and closes her beautiful brown eyes and hugs her pink “bunny bear” and goes to sleep.

Can this moment please last forever? God reminds me again that this moment is fleeting…she is growing up so quickly! Enjoy this moment. Take advantage of this time with her. She’s going to outgrow this age and it will be gone forever.


She just turned five. And I’ll turn around and she’ll be six…ten…twelve…fifteen! “Lord, help me to take time to look. Help me never to be too busy to take time to sit and to listen. Thank You for our sweet Deborah Jolene.”

P.S. Did you remember to pray for the Banquet? Only 3 days away! And please be praying for my friend, Vicky, to be able to attend that night, and to be saved; and also for 5 ladies who work at the Migration office: Dora Patricia and María Elena, and their 3 assistants. Please pray for their salvation!