Encouragement

After a morning at the park, in beautiful 60 degree weather, I called the kids and said the least popular phrase a child could ever hear at the park.

"It's time to go!"

My boys, looked up (or down, depending on which end of the jungle gym they were at) and shouted, the most favorite phrase any mom at the park could ever hear,

"Yes, MOOOOM!"

And they jumped off the play equipment and ran to obey.

As any mom does, when her children obey without challenge, without excuse, and without delay, I felt a surge of happiness and joy as we marched to the car hand in hand.

Some of the other moms looked at each other in disbelief. Some frowned. Some smiled. Some mouthed "Wow!!"

And I thought, for a brief moment, of going back to the crowd of moms and saying, "This doesn't happen half as often as it should!!!!!" But I thought better of it. Why mar the moment with excuses? For today. For just a moment. I'll delight in the pleasure of obedience. And I'll let my kids delight in it too.

For, truly, all of us smiled hugely as we walked to the car. I think we were all praising God for a moment like this. I felt so glad for my kids to know the joy of obedience. To walk in the light. And to feel God's face shining upon them. While we know that our good works can never save us, and that it is Christ and Christ alone that brings us into favor with God, there is still such pleasure in serving and obeying Him.

And like my kids, I too know just how how good it feels to obey the Lord. I was so thankful for the bit of personal encouragement it brought-- that all the discipline, the spankings, the tears, the trials...it's worth it. My kids are learning. And so am I.

So, as I said, we reveled in the moment. Cause we all know, it doesn't happen as often as it should.