Converse Shoes

 "Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. "

I woke up a couple of times this week with gentle giant's shoes next to my bed.

There was a time in my parenthood walk where this would have driven me crazy. These are not MY shoes. This is not where they go. How hard would it be to pick up your own shoes and put them away?

Now, I wake up and see these shoes and smile. I gently move them to outside his door, for he will still be sleeping, so he can put them away.

You see on this end of mothering I don't view these shoes by my bed as some failure of mine. They are not some indication that I didn't teach my kids to pick up after themselves.

I view them as a great success.

You see when the gentle giant comes in from wherever he has been, I am often already in my bed doing the night time routine with Peanut.

He always comes to me. Sits on the end of my bed. Tells me about the practice, the game, the church service. I hear about what silly thing some teenage boy has done or said. Or something that's frustrated him about a practice or game. He takes off his shoes while he talks.

Then he's off to eat and shower and I would guess watch endless Tik Tok.

But he always comes to find me first.

These moments remind me of how we are often home base for our kids.

They fiercely want to be independent and are spreading those new wings of freedom quickly.

But they come back to home base every now and then and check in.

Reassure themselves that we're still here.

I don't kid myself. This kid doesn't tell me everything. I'm pretty sure at his current age and season of life, there are things I don't want to know so I can sleep a little better at night.

But every night he finds me and he gently touches home base.

I think there is something about parenting that teaches us about the relationship God wants to have with us.

He wants to be home base.

He wants to be the place we begin and end our day with, a place where we feel the safest and most loved. He wants us to consistently check in.

Mama Warriors, I think one of the most important things we can do is to make consistent times that we are still so our kids always know they can find us.

I try to be in my kitchen as the eldest leaves for work each day. So I'm there, available. I can remind her she's loved before she heads out for the day.

I show up for dinner at the table with no phone so my people know they have my attention.

I sweep Peanut up and lay down with her for a bit every night before we put her to bed.

Remember that God is just as available to you.

Waiting for you to touch home base.

Let yourself lean into that.