From Painful to Precious

I really am a good mother.
I promise.
Tonight, though, I may have lost a "mother of the year" point or three.

My children are involved in AWANA at our church on Wednesday nights.  It is SO much fun and they are learning tons of Scripture, way faster than I could have taught it I am sure.
So tonight, after Awana was over, my two youngest were running in circles in the parking lot...full speed...with some of their friends.

You know what is coming, right?

One of the moms warned the kids to slow down and exactly 3.2 seconds later I heard the sickening sound of a knee slamming into concrete.

All the adults went "Oh..." and I turned to see Drew kneeling and holding his injured knee to his chest.  I picked him up and observed the damage:  Three nasty "strawberries" glowed angrily against his brown skin, blood beginning to pool to the surface.  I cringed and sighed as I held and comforted my baby boy.  How many times have I said "Don't run??"  "Honey, that's why Mommy keeps telling you not to run on the concrete."

"I'm sorry, Mommy,"  he whimpered.  "I'm sorry I ran on the concrete."

As I held him, I realized something that made me a bit, um, embarrassed.
My son not only had on shoes which had the soles coming apart, but they were on the wrong feet.
Sigh.
How did that get by me?  No wonder he fell.

Two bandaids later we were on our way home, Drew crying out often because those darn strawberries hurt.  Once home, he seemed to get distracted and feel better so I set to work stocking my purchases that had been in the trunk and getting things ready from my brother's arrival with his sweet family this weekend.  The kids asked if they could lay on the bunk beds in the guest room while I worked and I said yes.

Then my ears picked up the sweetest words...

Gracie:  "We should pray for his knee to feel better."
Mari:  "Yeah, we should!"
Gracie:  "Ok, let's do it."  Then I heard her voice lower and begin the prayer.  I couldn't make out the words so I crept closer to the door in order to hear...
..."And, Lord, please touch his knee and make it better."

I took a peek and there, on the top bunk, sat three of my babies in a circle.  Holding hands, their eyes were closed and the expressions on their sweet faces were nothing less than intense concentration.  They were doing some serious business.  My eyes filled with tears as I took a mental snapshot of the precious scene, realizing that I was suddenly standing on holy ground.

Drew:  "God, thank you for my family.  Thank you for my sisters and Mari who is my friend.  Thank you that my boo boo is getting better."
Mari:  "Dear God, thank you for Bree..."
Drew:  "No, Mari, you can't pray for Bree because she didn't have blood on her leg."
Gracie:  "Well, she still got a boo boo so we should pray for her."
Drew:  "Ok."
Mari:  Continues her prayer and finishes in true Mari form..."In Jesus' name, AH-men!"

And to think, I get to be their Mommy.  God is truly the giver of good and perfect gifts.