Stop and Pray

The morning started out pretty good even though we were behind schedule. The afternoon went fairly smoothly…at first. Then things took a downhill turn rather quickly. I don’t even remember everything that went wrong. The atmosphere grew tense, my nerves were tight, and I wasn’t handling things well. At all. I had felt pretty smug. But no more. I was ready to throw in the towel…if I could just find one to throw! As I was cleaning my little boy’s room and having my inward meltdown, I picked up some of his papers from Sunday School and a sticker on one of them caught my eye. It said, “Stop and pray.” So simple. Just “stop and pray”.

I had rushed through the duties of the day, mentally checking off my list with a self-centered satisfaction, and then I’d fallen apart when things went sour. I hadn’t relied on Him. When the day started to spin out of control, I didn’t “stop and pray”. I fretted and fumed. All of my good intentions and hard work meant very little to me by then. If only I had stopped to pray before I got to the point of speaking sharply to my husband and children and doing my part to curdle the atmosphere….

I need to remember “first things first”. Always and no matter what. Before I rush into the duties of my day, I need to meet with Him. That doesn’t ensure a trouble-free day, but it sure helps to start off on the right foot! Then, when something, or some things, or everything goes wrong at once, I need to do just what that little sticker said. It may not fix everything, but it will change my attitude and outlook. And that’s half the battle.

“Lord, help me not to wait until my day falls apart to turn to You. Help me to meet with You first. Then, when trouble comes, help me to stop and pray, knowing that You’re right there to offer help as soon as I need it…and even before.”

Jessica is a follower of Jesus Christ, the wife of an amazing husband, and the mother of four children who are the loves of her life. She is passionate about homeschooling, enjoys spending time with her family more than anything else,  would rather buy a new book than new clothes, is always starting on a diet, and thinks that chocolate is the next-best medicine to laughter. Other than reading, her favorite hobbies are music, decorating, blogging, and making attempts at photography. She blogs about this, that, and the other at www.itsthelittlethings4.blogspot.com.