Sweet Smell of PineSol

T. Suzanne Eller

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

I admit it. I'm the world's worst when it comes to preserving photos. I have boxes of photos stacked in various cubbyholes. I tried to organize the pictures once. I divided them and placed them in large envelopes. My next step was to put them in albums. They are still in the envelopes—stacked in a box.

Melissa, Ryan, and Leslie are now in their 20's and newly married. The chances of me ever getting these precious memories organized are slim to none, but I'm realizing something powerful. Memories aren't limited to pictures.

Remember when, Mom…? is a common phrase in my house now. We have become the hub, a privilege once reserved for my husband's parents. At holidays and special weekends, they drive up, unload luggage and pile into the guest rooms. We laugh and reminisce a lot around the table. Remember when we went on treasure hunts in the pasture? Remember when you jumped on the bed and popped Ryan up in the air so high it scared you? Remember that yellow Slip N' Slide?

I do remember. But I also remember a young mom who worried that her house wasn't spotless when an unexpected guest showed up. I remember the angst of trying to do everything and the fatigue when my day ended before my chores did.

But there were days that I threw caution to the wind and jumped on the bed, even though it might make others frown. I grabbed a shovel and gave the kids plastic buckets and we looked for old bottles and trinkets at the abandoned homestead nearby. We mixed Dawn dishwashing liquid and water and I laughed out loud as the kids flew like greased lightening across the yellow slippery slide. Some of those memories were captured in that pre-digital age, but most were not, but they are etched on the heart of my young adult children.

They reminisce about what we did together. They don't reminisce about the smell of PineSol. Whether my house was perfect or how it compared to others' isn't even on their radar. It makes me wonder why I worried about it. Is it good to have order and structure? Sure. But don't allow the pressure to be the perfect mom keep you from the beauty of simply playing with your children. The unmade bed will still be there, but I promise that a child will grow quickly and leave the nest.

Take a moment today and look past the clutter and the to-do list and play like a child again. It might not be a picture-perfect moment, but it will be a memory.

Dear Lord, time passes so fast. Slow me down, God. Let me enjoy the smallest pleasures around me. Let me play with my child instead of knocking down a to-do list. Let me laugh with my teen instead of fussing at him. Thank You for the sweet memories of today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Join us for more Everyday Life encouragement

Real Issues, Real Teens: What Every Parent Needs to Know by T. Suzanne Eller

Go to Suzie’s blog where she shares “Are You in Your Teen’s Cluster?” (Chapter Three of Real Issues, Real Teens) and check out her other books here.

Application Steps:
Carve out time today to play. Turn off the TV. Put down the schedule. It doesn't have to be an event. Just play.

Are you better suited to a schedule? Mark a day for play. Protect it. Give it the importance it is due.

Reflections:
s life too busy? What is one nonessential task or activity that you can eliminate?

Does play seem foreign to you? Jump on the bed. I know. It's crazy, but do it anyway. Break the seriousness cycle.

Will we really care that much about what others might say?

Power Verses:
2 Samuel 6:14, "David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might..." (NIV)

© 2009 by T. Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved.

Alive

Rachel Olsen

"Everything that touches the water of this river will live." Ezekiel 47:9a (NLT)

One Sunday I woke up feeling overwhelmed. Several projects on my plate were consuming my focus, and closure was eluding me. I'd only been awake a few minutes when my family suggested we go to the beach for an hour or two before church. What? Go to the beach before church? Go get all sandy before church? You want me to body surf before breakfast?

That's exactly what we did.

As soon as my toes hit the sand, I knew this was a good idea. Each shifting step toward the glistening water, brought me closer to refreshment. As I eased into the surf, slightly chilly water rushed over my ankles. Catching my breath, I pressed forward, breathing deep as the water reached my knees and waves splashed up to my waist. I kept walking until my chest was submerged under the flowing water, and the tension drained from my body and mind. The only thing I could or cared to do was focus on the beauty of God's creation around me and the nearness of my family. Projects and decisions that had threatened to overtake me, were washed to the backburner of my mind. For the next hour or so, I floated over swells, dove through waves, and surfed on the salty sea foam. I walked out of that water feeling alive again.

A favorite Bible passage of mine is Ezekiel 47 where the prophet experiences a vision of God's temple. He is shown the Temple by a heavenly host – perhaps an angel, or perhaps even Christ Himself. Out of this Temple, past its altar, flows a stream of water that becomes a massive river. Read for yourself Ezekiel's experience there:

"Then the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing eastward from beneath the Temple threshold. This stream then passed to the right of the altar on its south side. The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the stream flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. Measuring as he went, he led me along the stream for 1,750 feet and told me to go across. At that point the water was up to my ankles. He measured off another 1,750 feet and told me to go across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to cross without swimming. He told me to keep in mind what I had seen; then he led me back along the riverbank. Suddenly, to my surprise, many trees were now growing on both sides of the river! Then he said to me, 'This river flows east through the desert into the Jordan Valley, where it enters the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will heal the salty waters of the Dead Sea and make them fresh and pure. Everything that touches the water of this river will live. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will be healed. Wherever this water flows, everything will live.'" (Ezekiel 47:1-9, NLT)

Are you feeling overwhelmed with problems, projects or decisions today? Are you feeling mentally drained, physically spent, or spiritually numb? Take a dip with me into the river of God, the river of healing, and be awakened to life in God. Let this living water flow over, into, and through you today – for wherever this water flows, everything will live!

Dear Lord, forgive me of my sins and plunge me deep into Your river. This is where I want to be. Cover me, wash me, cleanse me, heal me, and purify me. Make me spiritually alive and in tune with You today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

Stop by Rachel’s blog

God’s Purpose for Every Woman: A P31 Devotional Gen Eds. Lysa TerKeurst & Rachel Olsen

Application Steps:
Spend a few minutes in prayer, imagining yourself walking into the river of God. Feel the presence of God wash over you as you turn your heart towards Him and receive cleansing from His living water.

Plan a trip to a local swimming spot and get some exercise as you contemplate living water. Invite a friend to come along, and tell them about the river of God described in Ezekiel 47.

Reflections:
Have I touched this river of life? Everything that touches it will live!

Have I gone beyond sticking my toes in – have I submerged myself in my walk with God?

Power Verses:
Revelation 22:1-2, "And the angel showed me a pure river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, coursing down the center of main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations." (NLT)

© 2009 by Rachel Olsen. All rights reserved.