I bet you think I’m going to talk about something Disney related or something about a movie, but I’m not.
But I am talking about Cinderella.
God’s spirit has really been working on my heart and my head trying to get my attention. It’s been working. I always thought I would be the type of mom who would have tea parties at a moment’s notice and play catch or dress up or all those things that I thought a good mom should do. But, I’m not always that mom. I’m not always ready to seize those moments whether it be with my children, my husband, or any other family member. I do notice it more with my children because of the mere fact that I know the clock is ticking and the clock will strike midnight…
And they will be gone.
If you are like me, you get caught up in the day to day stuff that life throws your way. What should be precious time together becomes just another thing to check off on a to-do list. I am being brutally honest here. If you were to look at your life, unless you are super, super mom (or dad), you know that’s true. I don’t mean for those times to be like that. I don’t want those memories to fly by. I want to cherish every moment I have.
But in reality, does that happen?
The past two weeks a video and song about cherishing time has been coming into my mind a lot. And it’s powerful. Very powerful. As we have become a more technology based nation, we are losing chances to have real-life interaction with our families and friends.
Even as I sit at this computer writing this blog, I am fully aware that I could be sitting with my two children. It’s hard to find balance in my life at least. I’ve noticed that since I have been homeschooling my two children, working on a business helping people. writing blogs, leading a homeschool group, and leading a women’s ministry group, I am missing important moments. Not so much with the homeschooling, but with everything else, and that includes when I have to pay bills, work on a budget and do everything else life brings. I sometimes feel like I am looking at my life from the outside and watching it pass by. It’s a very unsettling feeling…and there’s a reason why. God’s trying to tell me something.
This morning in the car, one of my favorite songs came on the radio.. again. I’m not even sure why it is a favorite since it makes me cry like a baby every time I hear it, but it is. If you are familiar with Christian music, you may know the singer-Steven Curtis Chapman. The song is Cinderella. I’d like you to listen to why he wrote the song.
What he didn’t know when he wrote Cinderella, was that 7 short months after that, his daughter Maria Joy would die in a tragic accident in their own driveway. The song took on a whole new meaning after that happened and is a reminder to all of us that time is fleeting. Each minute that goes by, is one we will never get back. Those opportunities to play with Legos or have pillow fights, or just go for a walk around the pond, are moments we need to seize.
I had a conversation about this very topic with my 12 year old son the other day during one of those nights when he just couldn’t sleep. Those nights seem to be happening more and more with my children. I honestly think it has nothing to do with not being able to sleep. I think it has everything to do with them being able to have me to themselves, when I am finally sitting down and not running around. When we think of how much time we spend on social media wanting to know what everyone is up to and keeping up, we are losing time keeping up with our own lives. A pastor said in a sermon one day to just cherish the moment. Don’t reach for a camera to capture it. Don’t feel the need to post on Facebook what you’re doing. Just be in the moment. Just be.
I need to do that for my children.
I need to do that for my husband.
I need to do that for myself.
It’s not going to matter what my friends posted on Facebook or how many people visited my blogs (no offense!). It will matter that I enjoyed the precious time I was blessed with to enjoy those around me.
I don’t know what this is going to look like. I don’t know how an uber-planner has let life take over, but I do know that things need to change. My blogs will still be written. The bills will still get paid. Facebook and all the other social media sites will still be there-unless everyone tires of them and gets rid of them!
What I do know is that right now, I have a king, a prince and Cinderella who are waiting to dance with me.
If you have never heard the song before, take a moment and listen and then pay attention to what he says at the end when he accepts his award for the song. Is someone waiting for you to dance with them?
