One of my favorite magazines right now is Everyday Faith by DaySpring. I recently read an article from their Spring 2021 edition by Gary Chapman called “Love Over All.” In the article he talks about the 5 love languages which are words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, quality time and physical touch. In the article he referenced where we can take the quiz to find out which love language is our primary love language at 5LoveLanguages.com. I took the quiz to find that my love language is the language of quality time.
We recently moved to Ohio and Michael and I are still looking for jobs. As I was getting ready for the day which can be prime time for me to worry and fret, I instead began to realize just how good God really is. He began to remind me that He has always known my love language even before I knew it and he has been loving me in this way for years. He reminded me that He has been giving me the gift of quality time with my family not only now in these uncertain times but over the years.
Here are the memories He brought to my mind as I prepared for the day. My girls were born premature by 2 months. I remember being so scared and overwhelmed while they were in the NICU but also feeling so grateful that I had been given this extra time with them. I was gifted these extra two months to hold them and not just have them in my belly…the gift of quality time. Though we were in the NICU I was able to be intentional with my time with them, I would hold them for hours. When I am at home there is always something to do between the chores and cooking meals but in the hospital there were no dishes, piles of laundry to be folded or trash to be taken out; it was just Michael, my girls and I holding each other in the nursery. We would hold them and sing lullabies over them; and this time, though scary was a gift, a gift in time for intentionality and no distractions.
Then another gift of quality time came when I believed the girls were at the age to start preschool. Because their birthdays are in September they missed the cutoff to start school so they had another year at home and this time was a beautiful gift. This gift in their early life also meant that I would later be gifted one more year before they graduate high school….quality time. I used that year to teach them some things from home while their baby brother napped. We would sit at the table and practice writing and go over their letter sounds…quality time.
He gave me the gift of quality time again when the pandemic hit and virtual learning happened. All three of my kids were in school and now they were home with me during this challenging time. We got to get through the pandemic together. We made memories as we learned virtually together, had extra time to hike, play disc golf, cuddle, read together and do all of the other fun things that presented themselves.
I never thought I would be a stay at home mom but I was gifted that quality time after I found I was pregnant with my twins and put on bed rest at week 25; 8 years of quality time.
Now we are living in Ohio. My kids had virtual learning the first two weeks we were here. God gave us the quality time we needed to adjust to a new town, home and school. Michael and I are looking for jobs and while that can spur anxiety at times, on this particular morning God took my anxieties and gave me peace as He flooded my memories of all of the times of His goodness, provision and His good gift giving. I realized that yet again I have been given the gift of quality time with my husband. While we are home and looking for jobs we have also had some time to sneak away while the kids have been at school to go on a hike, to see a beautiful frozen waterfall and to play disc golf.
I realized that we could spend this time worrying to the point of fret or we can focus on the fact that we have a Father who is a good gift giver. We have a Father who knows our needs and our wants. We have a Father who in the past rained manna from the sky and He is the same God now that He was then. He will provide for our needs and our wants in due time. Right now, our greatest need has been filled in the gift of this quality time. I am going to choose to live for today and to not worry and fret but to instead be grateful for the manna that God is raining down from Heaven. May we have eyes to see how God is providing and may his peace rain on us and wash away all of our worries and anxieties.
Comments
Post a Comment