from the mouth of Ava

Sorry for the blog lapse. Lots going on and lots to be prayerful for in our family. Please keep Ryan's Uncle Brad and his family in your prayers.

But I had to stop and share an Ava story while it was still fresh.

It's been a rough morning for my Ava and I (and preschool was even in there, sigh).

She's pushed limits lots and being tired myself today, I've been more impatient than usual.

Lunchtime got very rough and so she was put up to her room early for quiet time. I sat down to talk to her a little bit.

"Ava, mommy's very sad right now. You haven't done a very good job listening when mommy has asked you to do something or to stop. I know you can do a better job of obeying mommy."

I continued.

"But Ava, mommy has been grumpy too and not as nice as I should be. So you work really hard to do a better job obeying and mommy will try hard to be more patient. We can both work on changing our attitudes during quiet time."

I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting for a response when my little girl looked up at me with big, teary eyes and asked, "And you do your bible study mommy?"

I stopped, feeling even more convicted as I knew exactly what she was implying. Let's just say that there have been other days when Ava has been put in her room for quiet time with a worn out mommy saying something along the lines of, "Mommy needs you to stay nicely in your room for quiet time so I can go do my bible study and ask Jesus to help mommy not be grumpy."

"Yes, Ava," I replied, "I'll do my bible study and ask Jesus to help mommy not be grumpy."

She pushed a little further.

"And pray mommy?"

Now very convicted I thought back to a conversation we had just had the other day when in a hard moment with her, I had stopped and closed my eyes and whispered a prayer. Ava, always intrigued by me praying is always quick to ask me what I'm doing. I had told her I was praying for Jesus to give me patience.

So I responded.

"Yes Ava, Mommy will pray that I can have better patience."

Satisfied, Ava happily nodded and climbed into her bed to listen to her cd.

Parenting is so refining - isn't it?

And with that, I'm off to go make good on a promise.