Bedtime Lullabies

We sing to our kids at bedtime. It's usually one song, bedtime prayer and one more song and then kisses goodnight. Sometimes though, like tonight, they keep asking for more and they're just so sweet that it's just hard to refuse them. I have a hard time refusing mostly because we've chosen to sing songs about the Lord at bedtime. I like it because they're learning Scripture, old hymns from long ago, hearing through song how much God loves them for the Bible tells them so. It's hard to refuse kids when they're asking for more songs like that!

Occasionally they ask for what we call, "silly songs" like, "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean". Recently, when Joel was in Africa we sang it every night and changed the lyrics to sing, "My Daddy Lies Over the Ocean" and it was fun. That is about the only non "God-song" that we sing because it's soft and melodic. My favorite though is "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". Each one of our kids has gone through a phase of having that one as their favorite and they ask for it every.single.night. It usually starts somewhere around the age of 2-1/2-3 and it's just so, so sweet to me that I love to sing it for them. Tonight at bedtime the boys kept asking for more songs and then it was Caleb's last one and he chose that one. I just loved it and had to "record" how I feel about it so I can be reminded and we, as a family, can remember these sweet bed-times.

Cuz Oh yes, there are nights when I need that reminder! So many times I am just exhausted at the end of the day and ready to take off my "Mom" hat and just plop down on the couch and not move for at least an hour! I'm coming out of a season of that and the favorite bedtime song from the three older kids was "Make Me A Servant". Every...Single...Night. Oh man. I KNOW that was from the Lord, straight to my tired heart each and every night. It's a song I've known since I was a kid. I learned it from Charity Churchmouse at Mousetrap Records. ;) It's on the Psalty the Singing Song Machine, album 4. Can you tell I listened to it a lot???

Here's the lyrics: (because I need to "record" these for myself to remember!)

Make me a servant

Humble and meek

Lord, let me lift up those who are weak

And may the prayer of my heart always be

Make me a servant

Make me a servant

Make me a servant today.

There were so many nights when I was rushing through bedtime, just trying to get the task done, be being impatient, not treasuring the moments and then they would request this song. Oh my. I would have to just stop and sit in silence for a moment while I prayed for a major heart adjustment. Thankfully my kids were patient...or scared, wondering what was wrong with me? Or probably...they knew. As I sang that song I would offer it up as a prayer for myself...for the next day and for that moment to just set my life aside, my tiredness, my desires to rest and remember what my job truly is at this moment in life. 

It's to wipe snotty noses and bottoms. To bend over and tie shoes and patiently, lovingly, with kindness help my three year old pull up his pants because the waist is tricky and it frustrates him so that he throws himself on the floor in a crying, angry mess. It's to make peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches day in and day out and pack lunches and fill sippy cups and kiss boo-boos that happen just about every hour. 

I remember when Abby was a baby and she would fall and get a boo-boo, I loved putting a band-aid on it for her. But the boo-boos never stopped coming and the band-aids box would empty out and then number two was added to the family and then number three and Abby got older and her boo-boos got bigger and the band-aids had to get bigger and now we've got number four and she needs the band-aids but pulls them right off after you put them on and on and on and on...but that is what I'm called to do right now...buy band-aids...in bulk! I have seriously looked them up online from Amazon before! I've gone through phases of saying, "Alright! No more band-aids unless there's blood! Like dripping down your leg kind-of blood!" It never works. But, honestly, they're worth every penny if it makes my kids feel secure and cared for and loved. Besides, kissing a boo-boo with a band-aid on it is a lot cleanlier than without! ;) 

Being a Mother is such a fulfilling thing. It really is a gift from God...when I have my heart in the right place. When my eyes are on my family and taking care of their needs I feel so filled up at the end of the day that "Mommy, one more song please" is a joy and a treasure! It means the day is ended with a simple, "Goodnight boys..." and a quiet latch of the door instead of an angry, tired, selfish Mom who is at the end of her rope and pleads, "Just please! Quiet down!" as the door slams. When my eyes are on myself and all that I need to get accomplished or just want to get done...it's a bad day in our home. Of course there are always things that really do need to get done. Laundry, cleaning, meals made....of course. I just want to keep the right frame of mind and heart attitude that my children are not "in my way" of getting my things done. They are what I need to tend to in the midst of all the other. It's such a hard balance and one that I work at a lot. Some days I'm really great at it and others it's just.plain.hard. Hopefully...prayerfully...our kids will turn out all right and not have too many counseling sessions about how I've ruined their lives. ;) Maybe I'll just save up money now and offer to pay for it for them! Ha! :)