A lesson learned from toddlers

Do you ever have those moments where you can only think "Thank you Lord for x!"? I had one yesterday. Mine was "Thank you Lord that you don't give babies to us in toddler form!" And I'm not even talking about the size issues with trying to deliver a 30+ inch, 20+ pound child. I'm merely talking about the attitudes and personalities.

Yesterday, my nephew was over for several hours. Under normal circumstances, Levi and E seem to get along great. Change the dynamics slightly - one is tired, hungry, snotty (as in runny nose, not attitude!), etc. and you get completely different results. After an early lunch and then an almost three hour nap time (thank you, thank you, thank you!) the day was much improved. The boys decided it would be fun to play together. No more slaps were thrown, no fingers were inserted into mouths to be bitten, no more hair pulling. Instead, we shared, learned to roar like dinosaurs, and raced cars along the coffee table.

So, I was thankful we get babies as those wonderfully cute, little people who depend on us for everything and show no signs of independence. It also got me thinking though. How often are we in need of food and/or nap time and refuse to acknowledge it? Are we "sharing" our grouchy attitudes with others needlessly? Life is full. I get that. We have jobs, homes, dishes, laundry, children, pets, errands, etc. that all require our attention. We get up before the crack of dawn and often don't stop until well after the sun has set. Keep in mind though - quiet "nap time" can be taken at just about any point of the day. A quiet study of the Bible early in the morning. A few stolen moments of laying in bed after the alarm clock goes off. A brisk walk around the office building in the middle of the day. A leisurely walk through the garden in the evening with your sweetheart. A few moments of quiet while the kids are entertained by something outside. A few extra moments in the shower. It doesn't take much - just a few moments to recharge our batteries so we too are ready to share, be kind, and learn something new.