Making a minute for my children

Every morning I receive a tip on how to be a generous wife to my husband @ generous-tip_the-generous-wife.com

. As I read this mornings tip I was convicted. Here is what it said:

Do you often find yourself putting off your husband's requests with "just a minute," "not right now" or "wait until I finish "? Certainly this is reasonable sometimes, but if you do it too often it will communicate to him that he has less value to you than all those things that you put ahead of him.
Take the time to think through what is so important that you need to ask others to wait and those things where an interruption is really not that big of a deal.

The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work. Author Unknown.

I listen to what AJ has to say when he talks to me but the Lord convicted me I do this with my children. So often I get caught up on doing "my" things...laundry, cleaning the bathroom, talking to a friend on the phone, etc...that I often tell my children "Wait just a minute..." or " Give me just a few minutes"..."Not now"....

Are these things really important? Sure they are but not at the expense of my children. If I am always telling them "Just a minute" they are eventually going to go to their peers, after all, they will listen. Do I really want this? NO! I want the hearts of my children. I want them to be able to come talk to me about anything and everything. If I keep "pushing" them away I will turn their hearts away from me.

Saying this, I do realize there must be a balance. They do have to learn to wait, there will be times I can not stop what I am doing to. Part of life is learning to be patient and not getting what you want when you want it every time.

For me, I will start to take the time to stop more often...see that bug that is SOOOOOO amazing, look at the best train track ever built, how high they can jump, help build a fort out of sheets, and enjoy these very important things to my children. After all, doesn't God do this for me? What if when I went to Him for help, cried out in prayer and God told me "Not now... I am busy, I have others things to think about more important than your problem" or if I went to Him to share my excitement and thank Him in a child finally learning a catechism question we have been working on and God said " Just a minute...I am busy with someone or something else right now. Come back in a few minutes and maybe I will have the time to hear you". This would NEVER happen with my God as He is always faithful to us. In His Word, it is written in 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting ALL your care upon Him; for He careth for you." If God cares for me this much, how much more should I care about all of my children's "cares" whether it is to read a book they have heard hundreds of times already or to pray for the boo boo they just got from running to fast and tripped on the cement, I want my children to know they are important to me and I am always hear to share the joys and discouragements with them in their lives, to be there and rejoice over their ability to jump so high or wipe the tear away from someone being mean to them. I want to be an example to them what God is to us EVERYDAY, EVERY MINUTE. NEVER to busy for me and my small "cares".

I must go now, I have a very important snail to see on the window that has captured my children's heart for the moment...now let me capture their hearts by enjoying this snail with them.