Throwback Thursday - Families at their Best (my very first post!)

Before my husband and I were married, I spent many of my late teen and early adult years sharing my faith on a youth ministry team.  We married in 2003, and embraced a new ministry as domestic church.  I longed to share my faith, but involvement in youth minstry was no longer a possibility.  I deeply missed the community I had in those years, and remembered a dear friend and her "teapot ministry" as a young Mom.  She simply opened the door of her home to friends and neighboors, and shared her faith with anyone who happened to pop by for tea.

Inspired by her example, I took to social networking and began writing short reflections on Facebook. I thought in honor of Throwback Thursday (which everyone seems to be doing on social media!) I would dig out and repost some of my old posts.  I first began writing and publishing reflections as Facebook notes in 2008 and built up quite a collection before starting my blog in 2010.  I want to bring them all over, and thought that Thursdays could provide the best opportunity.  I continue to be so surprised at the people who read them, and realized that we are all walking the same path.  There is community in a shared experience, something that binds us together. Thank you for coming along on my journey.

Today I'd like to share the one that started it all.

Families at their Best
First published January 8, 2008

This morning I woke with a killer migraine. My head felt like it was going to explode, and with Jeff in school, he was not able to help me with the kids. I was terrified when he left at the prospect of watching my kids who, let's face it, can be pretty wild, when I couldn't even get up off the couch. Despite my frantic prayers, not one of them slept in, and they were all awake and running around at 7:00 am. I got up and got them breakfast, and then decided I would try just laying down in my recliner while they played around me. I turned off all the lights because they hurt my eyes, put the baby in his swing, and turned on Playhouse Disney for the older boys, hoping against hope that this would somehow keep them all content, but knowing that usually it only works for about two minutes.

Laying in the recliner about twenty minutes later, the baby still content in his swing, and feeling the Tylenol I had taken start to kick in, I am amazed that the boys are all uncharacteristically content taking care of themselves. They are all very good, but like any children their ages, they require (and demand) alot of attention. But they all seemed to know that I couldn't give them very much this morning, and responded to that by taking care of themselves. I have my moments with Joseph who, at 3 1/2, is just starting to grow into his own person and asserting his independance by challenging everything I say to him. But this morning I was so proud at what a big help he was - he did everything I asked the very first time, and even went beyond his years in looking out for the other two kids for me. As the oldest, I think I put alot of pressure on him in what I expect, and I often get frustrated I think for no reason. But this morning he really took care of things for me, and I was so thankful for him.

My headache subsiding, I am in awe at how families work. So many times I feel like my life is complete chaos, and that having three small children brings out the worst in me. But at times like this, I really see how it also brings out the best in all of us. My children all, at very young ages, know how to work together to help out when they need to. There's no question that when they are sick, Jeff and I up our game to take care of them. But this morning for the first time, I really saw how they do the same for us, and I'm so proud of them for showing such responsbility at such a young age. My life is crazy, it's true. But it's also wonderfully rewarding, and I'm so blessed that it's my life, and that God has given me these three little people to take such good care of me.

My little family of boys in 2008.  Such sweet memories!