Recently, Jacob has started to share some of his opinions with us.  Things like:

 

“No, Mom, I don’t like that nasal spray and I don’t want you to use it on me.  I don’t care that I have a cold, I’m up way past my bedtime, and I haven’t slept through the night in three days.”

 

or

 

“No, Mom, I don’t want you to take that toy away.  You may have thought I was finished with it and concentrating on something else, but really, I was just taking a break and saving this plaything for later.  It’s later now.”

 

Do we see a scary trend forming here?

 

 

Still, observing the development of “wants” in a child who had previously only voiced “needs” got me thinking about the goals of my Lenten observations.

 

Whether I’m giving something up or taking more time for prayer, reading, quiet time, etc., the point is to give some of what I consider “my time” back to God.  I’m trying to eliminate the distractions that currently fill my day and stand in the way of a deeper relationship with Him.  It’s like I have to follow the development I’m seeing in Jacob in reverse: give up the wants to get back to what I really need.

 

Every day it’s clearer to me that this little boy is a gift straight from God.  As busy and hectic as motherhood can get, it also offers a ton of special moments that demand I slow down and look a life from a different point of view.

 

My mom used to sing Bobby Helms “You Are My Special Angel” to me when I was a little girl.  And now that I’m a mom, I’m beginning to understand why.