A Heart Drawn in the Sand
My parents flew in from Colorado to visit us in Pennsylvania for a few days, so we took them to the beach for the day. We played in the sand for a while, splashed in the water, and searched for the best seashells.
When we were ready to go and I started packing up and grabbing all our belongings, I saw a heart drawn in the sand with the word mom and a smiley face. I stopped for a minute and stared down at it. I wasn’t even sure which of my children created it. One of them had drawn it without saying a word to me and then went on their way.
For some reason, that little heart with the word mom in it and a smiley face stopped me in my tracks. It caught my attention like nothing else could have in that moment. The child who made it didn’t come over and tell me they loved me, they simply created an expression of what they felt. I felt so loved in that moment. Yet, it made me stop and wonder… Did that child feel that same love in return from me or was I too busy for them?
Living In the Moment
I get so busy with life. Every day, I have more on my to-do list than I can possibly accomplish for the day. The days run together and life just seems to fly by. I feel like sometimes life passes me by in the blink of an eye, and I miss so much. Then I see a simple heart in the sand with the word mom in it, and it slows me down.
It made me stop and think and ask myself some tough quesions. Am I living in the moment? Am I enjoying this time with my family, or am I just trying to get through it and move on to the next thing? Am I paying attention to those around me? Am I giving my family members the love and attention they need? The heart was just a simple reminder for me to live in the moment, to love the people that are in my life.
A Quiet Whisper
God has a funny way of getting our attention sometimes. I’m reminded of the verses in I Kings when God gets Elijah’s attention. It’s not how Elijah thought it would happen.
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
I Kings 19:11,12 KJV
God wasn’t in the hurricane, the earthquake, or the fire. God’s voice came to Elijah in the form of a quiet whisper.
Missing My Heart in the Sand
Often, I look for God in the big moments of life, when something incredible happens or when there’s a storm rocking my world. Those are the times that I’m not worried about missing God. I know He’s going to show up, and I know I’m going to see it.
What I do worry about missing, though, are the times God shows up in a quiet whisper like He did for me at the beach. God used a heart drawn in the sand with a simple message to catch my attention, to remind to focus on what’s important, to live in the moment. Life is passing me by too quickly. My kids are going to be grown and gone in the blink of an eye. I don’t want to look back on the years I had with them in regret because I was too busy to focus on what was important. I want to focus on Living the Life I Have, Not the One I Want.
I left the beach that day with a renewed vision to live in the moment. I don’t want to miss out on memories, meaningful conversations, and chances to speak love into my children’s lives simply because I was to busy to do so.
Book Recommendation
If you are a mom with kids still at home and this topic resonates with you, you would enjoy Hands-Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford. She teaches us how to “live a present, authentic, and intentional life despite a world full of distractions.”
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