Look at Me!

"Look at me" seems to be the popular saying at our house lately. Whether it is a new dance move, dressed up as a princess, flips over the couch, opening up the fridge to get a cheese stick, jumps on the trampoline . . . pretty much anything and everything seems to merit a "look at me mom". I'll be honest, I get annoyed sometimes. Sometimes I'm on the phone, cooking dinner, folding laundry, going to the bathroom, or in another room and simply do not want to stop everything and . . . look - acknowledge - encourage - smile - cheer. Then it hits me. What if you girls stop? What if you don't want me to look? What if you want to keep your door closed, and yell 'don't come in' when I open it up? What if you don't care if I look - acknowledge - encourage - smile - cheer? I want to be a part of your lives. Let me rephrase. I want you, to want me, to be a part of your lives. Time seems to be speeding up, and I do not want folded laundry to get more looks than you girls!

Let me share another way "look at me" has become popular in our house. This one mainly pertains to Abigail and Jillian (though I know it is only a matter of time before the other girls are involved). You girls are beginning to help more around the house, and are excited to show me how you are learning. Believe me, I am thrilled that you girls can set the table, help cook dinner, and put laundry away, but I hope that you are learning to do it with joy, purpose, and gratitude! The thing is, I know you will learn the nobler purpose of mundane chores through my attitude. You also are excited to have me see how you 'look' like me. I don't mean physically, but how you act like me. This scares me more than you know, because I know even though I try, I will fail you as being the best example. My respect and awe for the apostle Paul has multiplied, especially when he said in 1 Corinthians 4:16 to imitate him. I have never been more motivated to pursue holy perfection than now . . . knowing that my daughters will be watching and wanting to imitate me. The verse after his exhortation to imitate him, is what excites and spurs me on though. "For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church." 1 Cor. 4:17 Girls, what I want to imitate for you is a woman that is in love with Jesus, and desires to give her life to him - daily - as a living sacrifice so that others may fall in love with Him. I hope that as you grow older your "look at me" changes to "look at Jesus!"