just a mom

There's a show on TV called "Untold stories of the ER"...here is my version but it would be titled "Untold storied of a Mom who is also an ER Nurse"

It would start with showing up the babysitter's house in the morning with a grocery sack - contents - one dirty onesie, a cup of almond milk, leftover rice and black beans from SEVERAL days ago...and no diapers....she would be so thankful to God for the AMAZING women (and families) who watch and care for her kids during the day and then call her husband just to say hey since she hasn't seen him in a couple of days except for those 10 minutes around 3 am when the baby was up and they both held her and fed her a banana and prayed for her to sleep.

It would pan to a scene where she cares for a guy having a heart attack and gets him to the cath lab in under 12 minutes, takes care of all manner of sickness and craziness And after her 13 hours on the clock punching out to head home.

It would end with her putting away the dishes in the dishwasher at 1am when she got home, reading notes in school bags and signing papers - looking in on her sleeping children and wondering about their days.    She would sort through the two baby bags she found lying around and find

1. Frog Bag - two pairs of purple pants, one tiny used tube of baby sunscreen, one toy hedgehog.

2. Jean 'Samuel' bag (Has Samuel's name on it because we don't have one that says Lydia - it helps throw off nursery workers who can't find the girl's bag) - one shoe, one head band, one bag of half eaten cheerios, a hat that hasn't fit for months.

She would make a note to clean out those bags in the morning.  She would be grateful for her sweet husband who cleaned the kitchen and had the kids pick up the play area.

Pan to the next morning - she dresses the baby for a trip to big brother's school because in looking at his bag earlier that morning she discovered he had an event in his classroom that parents could come to where the first graders read stories they wrote.  One sister needs pig tails to complete her spider girl outfit for school because it's "dress as your favorite character day".  Watches one year old throw herself on the floor and pitch a fit - (really kid? - you're 12 months old).  AND one mom who realizes the best part of her crazy life is when she gets to be home with those precious kiddos - choosing to be grateful for every minute and not dwell how she falls short or what she can't do...choosing to live in the messiness of life...grateful that the gospel is sweet to this broken mama.