Where's Your Treasure?

Tonight, as I lay in bed, I was overwhelmed and moved to tears thinking about my kids. My oldest will be 7.......7 in a week and a half, which means we only have 11 more years left with them, which doesn't seem like enough time at all. There are so many things I wish I could go back and change as a mother; words I wish I could erase, reactions I wish I never had, tones that were never used and even thoughts I wish I'd never thought.

Children are a blessing from the Lord, a gift he has given us. I know I haven't always thought about them in that way, and tonight I felt the Lord giving me a picture of them. I saw them as a beautiful treasure box, God handing them to me, and me wanting to take the very best care of it that I could. In reality, if someone gave us an expensive and valuable treasure, we would do everything in our power to protect it, keep it safe, make sure it was well taken care of, to not let anyone mess with it, put it in a safe spot, and would take any means necessary to make sure nothing by any means would get to it. If we would do that for a material possession, why don't we do it more often for our own children? Why do we misuse them with our words or actions? Why don't we protect their gateways, their eyes, ears, and hearts more, making sure they aren't exposed to things that are inappropriate and being written on their hearts, being a better example to them, acting in love and patience instead of reacting with anger and yelling?

The Lord not only gives them to us, but he entrusts us to take good care of them as he would us. I love my kids, but I haven't always valued them the way they should be with my actions or words. I am still working on my words, trying to speak life and encouragement, not reacting when I'm feeling upset or mad, and trying to let the Lord love them through me. Some days are good, other days my flesh gets the best of me and I blow it, like today. Even when I do blow it, I know God isn't condemning me, his mercies are new everyday (and thank God because I used all of today's up), that I get another chance tomorrow, and that his grace will cover over any mistakes I made.

Time flies by so quickly. There's nothing we can do about the past mistakes we've made, things we've done or said that we wish we could do over again.....BUT there is a tomorrow, and the day after that and so on. I pray that we will truly value others, especially those closest to us, and that we will cherish them more than any earthly possession, that we would value them with our words and actions, and that we would soak up every bit of time the Lord has given to us to be with them. After all, in a few short years they will be leaving the nest, and what memories will we have imprinted on their hearts and ours? A time that was treasured and sacred or a time that was wasted and misused? I want to be a good steward of everything the Lord has given me, especially the ones he has given to me and entrusted me with!

My challenge to you and myself is to get a new perspective about people, be more conscious of the things we do/say, how are our tones and actions impacting others, what are the words we are speaking and writing on our spouse's/kids hearts, what are we really doing with our time, and are we really valuing and treasuring the gifts God has given us?