The Littlest Birds Sing the Prettiest Songs

So today I was in the car listening to a sweet lil' ditty and the title struck me for the first time even though it's on my I-Tunes Favorite list and I hear it regularly. "The Littlest Birds Sing the Prettiest Songs." Hmmm... I think that is my new mantra. This week I celebrated my birthday and I have to admit I went into the week feeling... well, a bit disappointed. Disappointed in myself for not being where I thought I'd be, not feeling like I've moved forward, that our family hasn't progressed... yada yada. I cried myself a river so deep I swam in it until my fingers got all pruned. I met a friend for lunch and I know I must have been a bit of a downer. But she had some really great insight as a mother of five herself. She said that when it was just her she was generally very happy and really only became discontent if something happened occasionally. After getting married she found herself not only concerned about her day, but her spouse's, noting that if his day went badly or they had a fight her chances of discontentment grew slightly. She said that now with five children, at least one person is bound to have something happen to them, making her day difficult. She has to make a conscious effort to remember the little things. Maybe now is not the time of life where she will have a whole day go smoothly, resting her head on her pillow at night feeling completely at peace with the goings on of the day. Now she has to stop and enjoy the moment when all of her children are playing well together, even if ten minutes later it could be chaos. Again, there is a time and season, and this motherhood thing means finding joy in the little things. If you try to look at success as having one whole day of no fighting, no fatigue, no stress, then you will always be disappointed. Instead, if success is enjoying a sweet moment with your family during a rainstorm as you sit and hear the thunder and Ella sings the "rain, rain, go away song" in complete confidence that the storm will obey her sweet song's command. If you enjoy the sweet hug she gives you on your birthday and hugs you until she says, "okay mommy, that's enough hugging." So it's the little birds that sing the sweetest songs. It's not the grand ones and their arching flight though they are magnificent. You just don't see them as often, just as I don't have those "perfect days" anymore. But I do have those sweet moments, those sweet songs, and they can be beautiful.

So I ramble I know. But this is the valuable lesson it only took me thirty two years to learn:

The Little Birds sing the prettiest songs. Enjoy them. They are common and every day but they are precious. And for this time and season they are what I need to focus on.

Shaun and I have no control over this job of his that we have now been waiting on for TEN months. He signed a contract, we know it's only a matter of time. But this week I have given this worry to the Lord. He can have it. There's nothing more I can do with it. Having no control is so difficult, so I have two options. I can fret and worry and fret and worry some more, or I can give this trial to the only one who really can and will be able to control it. I tried the first option and it's gotten me no where except as I said earlier, swimming in a river of my own self-pity (not to mention turning to on-line shopping therapy... not recommended). This week, I'm going with door number two. Here's my heart Lord, take and seal it. Please take this trial and help us endure. Help us remember to rely on you and to trust in you and your timing. Our little family is in your hands. And we will enjoy the sweet songs along the way.