We welcomed our fifth child in October, and from that moment, we hit the ground running. The night she came, it was chaos and excitement, and what I’ve realized is we have not stopped since.
I do my best to fit in time with God for myself and for my children, but I’ll be transparent with you—I’m not very good at it. I find that my God time, and the time I spend with my children in God time, is often pushed to the side.
I need to focus on making it a priority as opposed to allowing it to be pushed aside. So as I’m entering this new year, I’ve decided I want to seize the moments in my day that will allow me to talk about God, talk to God and to be with Him. I want to seize those moments, embrace them and fully accept the opportunities I have in the quiet moments of my day to spend time with God.
I no longer want to let my time with God or the time I spend showing my children about God to be pushed aside by the chaos of life. As I enter 2019, it’s my promise to seize the moments for myself and my children. Who’s with me?
When I have a quiet moment, I like to bask in just that: the quiet. These are the exact moments when we should be inviting God in. If you’re like I am, though, as a busy mom, you might be wondering where in the world you could possibly find some extra minutes in the day. Here are some things I’ve learned about those moments to embrace, to lean on and to listen to God. Maybe they’ll be helpful to you as well.
- Car time. When we bought our first minivan, it had a DVD player, and I was so excited. I had four children under the age of 4, and I knew the DVD player would be a lifesaver. The DVD player soon became something that was instantly turned on when we entered the vehicle, and I realize how many moments we are missing that could be spent talking to, talking about and listening for God. Let’s use our car time wisely, moms. Listen to Christian radio and allow it to spark conversations. Find an audio Bible and read God’s Word while you’re driving with your children. Don’t waste those precious moments on the road when you could be spending them with Him.
- Grocery shopping. The invention of grocery pick-up was truly a gift from God in my book. However, I realize that it has taken away opportunities to speak to my children about being kind, being frugal, being content. It’s taken away an opportunity to speak to my children about patience. Grocery shopping is a phenomenal way, a phenomenal set of moments, to teach about God and what he asks of us. Even if you use grocery pick-up (and I do recommend it), when you spend time in the grocery store with your children, make those moments count.
- Waiting for an appointment. With five children, I have a lot of appointments. From doctors to dentists to therapies, we spend a ton of time in a waiting room. What I find myself doing is sending my children to a chair with a book or iPad, and we spend the time working independently on whatever it may be. But sometimes that’s a waste of a moment to have something meaningful. Invest in a Bible app or Bible storybook that can be read together or independently while waiting. Invest in Bible-verse coloring books to spend time in God’s Word while you wait. Seize the moment of waiting and bring God into it.
The next time you find yourself waiting, take that moment and talk to God or dive into his Word. Life is busy. I’ll be the first to admit it and the last to admit that my plate overflows. However, I know that God has given me this life because He trusts me with it, and He has a purpose for me in it. The same rings true for you. It’s our responsibility to find the time, make the time, and to listen to Him for guidance. It’s our responsibility to seize the moment for ourselves, and our children, to bring God into our lives and embrace God within the chaos.
As you enter 2019, what moments are you going to seize? What moments are you going to take back from the chaos to incorporate God more? We’d love to hear your ideas! {eoa}
Angela Jamison is a foster/adoptive mother of five. When she is not with her children, she is directing a Christian preschool, spending her days instilling God’s love in the littlest of her community. To learn more about Angela, check out her blog at www.angelajamison.com or follow her on Facebook (@barrenbutblessed), Twitter (@AngJamison04), or Instagram (@angjam731).
This article originally appeared at just18summers.com.
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