a life lesson learned through oatmeal

I was busy with all the hustle and bustle of the morning--making oatmeal, cleaning up oatmeal, washing oatmeal off everything in the kitchen, and wiping oatmeal out of my little boys' noses, hair, face, clothes, etc. You get the drift. This is something I do everyday just about and don't really enjoy. My kids love oatmeal and I HATE oatmeal. Well....I found myself overcome with thankfulness that I get the privilege to clean up oatmeal every morning.

I haven't always been like that. There was a time in my life I was flat out angry and self-absorbed. Cleaning up the oatmeal day after day would have caused a bad attitude. But not today. Today I find myself honored to clean up the sticky goo. I remind myself daily that I might not have tomorrow with them. I only have TODAY. The reason why....my heart was broken. Brokenness is God's secret weapon to bringing us to Him (it seems in my life). God used a little girl to bring me to my knees. Before I was a mommy to my boys, I was a mommy to a little girl. I have her to thank for teaching me how to love, to cherish every moment, and to keep perspective.

The hardest and saddest and most confusing thing that has ever happened to me was losing my "first child". If you don't know, my sister was in a bad car accident, and she had a lot of life problems in 2005. So she gave us her daughter to raise, and we made plans to adopt her. We didn't hold back our hearts, and we fell completely in love with her. Well, my sister got better, and she wanted her back. So we lost our little girl. NO, she didn't die, and we still get to see her. BUT our hearts were shattered, and we felt the unbearable pain of loss.

I realize that God used my broken heart to make me a good mother to my boys. I wouldn't be the mother I am without that terrible time in my life. I believe that God can use every awful, sad, lonely, scary, tough, tragic, discouraging, or painful time in your life to shape you to be a more like His son Jesus. When we allow His tender hands to mend our hearts during those hard times, the fruit will pour out on our children.

Currently, I have several dear friends of mine who are in the middle of those tough times experiencing loss, anger, medical/financial troubles, broken hearts, dashed dreams, sickness and death. My heart is hurting for my sweet sisters. And I am praying that God WILL use these hard times to shape their hearts and bring quick healing and the sweetest fruit.

So back to my title....the lesson I learned today as I was cleaning up all the blessed oatmeal is-- if I am a GOOD mother it's only because God is a GOOD GOD!!!!! I hope you can see how He is working in your life and heart through your "oatmeal mornings".