i saw you in the park today corralling one into a stroller and keeping an eye on the other chasing butterflies. i watched as you tried desperately to catch up with a friend, but both of you clearly had constant little squeaky interruptions. i saw another one of you nursing your infant and the longing for adult interaction thick in your soul.

i have a hunch that when you do make it home, cart the sleepy one to bed and turn on some coping mechanism for the other, that you’ll tackle the 3 hour damp clothes in the washer, the dirty dishes in the sink and the clean ones in the dishwasher. you’ll look around and feel behind on your projects, wishing you had time for a yard sale (maybe do a salvation army run one day), a spa day, a gourmet meal planned, but a cup of goldfish will do.

your go-to reward after time at the park and an early morning wake up call would naturally be the smart phone that’s overcome with missed calls, texts, notifications, and a smothered raisin.

but read this instead: 

I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34 (ESV)

what are you magnifying? what are you making a big deal? the wait list for preschool? sleep training? potty training? your return to your career? our nation's safety? that he's not home from work by dinner? your child's behavior or learning concerns? 

a european pastor said, "what you magnify, you will believe in and it will dominate." he pointed out that Moses magnified that he lacked a voice. Abraham magnified that he lacked a son. Goliath magnified that David lacked a sword and shield. "magnify the Lord on your worst day." magnify the Lord on the ordinary days. magnify the Lord in front of your kids. 

bless the Lord at all times. make Jesus big, not your concern. give Him your cares and fears. stop seeing first how everyone else is making decisions but see Jesus first. 

Psalm 34 will be our rising song. put it on your lips in the morning when they rise, therefore you must rise! 

as a mom of littles, sing this song. as a parent who has had littles, sing this song. for those who long for days with littles, sing this song. 

tell this to your kids: i might give you more than the average number of goldfish, introduce you to juice too soon, potty train you late, forget to teach you something important, but i’m gonna show you that i love Jesus. you will grow up knowing that mommy loves Jesus in hopes that you, too, will love Jesus.

lean in for a minute. you won’t believe me because sometimes seeing is believing. i couldn’t believe it when mine were little because i couldn’t see it either. they will start school of some sort soon. (say that five times fast!) and you’ll have less time and less influence with them.

so while you are the major voice, what do you want them to hear from you?

that broken record of yours still works…i promise! listen in when they are playing with friends and tell me who they sound like?! make it a solid and truthful and encouraging broken record! 

i’m using another broken record in these tween/teen years that i’m hoping plays back to them in their young adult years. think of it this way. your high school years helped you figure out what you’d major in. (some of us) your college years helped you hone in one a calling/career. (a few in the crowd) your career/calling years bear fruit of what you learned/were taught. (am i right?)

mom of littles, your voice matters. your days matter. the time at the park today? it matters. all that you do inside the home that no one else notices - it matters. but before anything else in the day and when your load seems heavy, oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! because what we magnify will dominate our days.