Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.
“Come, Let us have tea and speak of happy things.”
I have made it a habit, a life value, to attempt to lead my family in the direction of happiness and joy through the rhythms we live out daily. Why? Because it is a sort of defense against difficult times. Even scripture teaches us that.
7 So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!
Ecc. 9:7
As many of you know, last week, our family took the trek to Scotland to celebrate Joy, my daughter. We heralded her accomplishments by finishing her PHD. Celebrating those we love is a sacred practice. When we value a person, speak well of them, affirm their worth, cherish their lives, we are imprinting their brains with the message that they matter, they have significance in this world, God has created them with purpose and meaning to His story in the world. But celebration takes time and energy and planning.
On today’s tea time Tuesday podcast, I speak of the week in Scotland, food we ate, etc. Enjoy!
We made a very long, trip to Scotland, got an Airb&b, bought flowers, hosted a donut and coffee open house one morning, attended several garden parties hosted by the school, wrote cards, met friends, walked literally thousands and thousands of steps (over 5 miles a day), and prayed for Joy. These celebrations hold our children fast to the ideals of our faith, love, family and give foundations to their lives.
Lockdown held other sacred times for our family. The rhythms we have kept through all of our years no matter where we moved, what the place, became really fun for us. We ate long meals by candlelight every night. We walked for miles together along the Oxford canals and sat on benches in the parks being friends. We watched several television series at night and a few comedies that delighted us together.
The dance of life goes on--one more generation anew will have their turn to make it beautiful and now my time to invest, to love and encourage is less than it used to be. Remember, my friends, today, you are living and writing the story of your life, crafting the legacy you will leave to generations to follow.
Through all seasons, we whisk here and there in a hurry to "get it all done." But, I am now in the position of being the one to say, "before you know it, the early years of motherhood come to an end, and you have no more days to enjoy your son or daughter as a child."
This year, I intentionally made time, even when I did not feel like I had it, to make more memories--to live in the moments when I could share real life--look into their eyes, share in the deepest expression of their hearts because I know the season was about to pass.
We will never have this year, this day, this moment in which to invest again—it will be fleeting and over, as one spring marks another, one autumn tells of us another season or winter a year soon to be past.
Today is the day in which I may pour out love, Inspiration, serving and touching hearts, pointing in this moment of glory, to the divine Creator. Teaching what is true and right and good. Modeling faith.
I understood, from their first days, that
A real, little human being, requires personal attention as a flower needs real water.
When this day is past, I must hope that I have used it well and invested wisely because I will never have it to live over again, and soon, very soon, the autumn of motherhood will remind us, that this season is almost over.
Remember: Only the wise can dance to the rhythm of life!
May you listen to the music of each season, and dance elegantly the dance God has granted you within your home.
*****************************************