glimpses

throughout my children's lives, i often catch what i call "glimpses". you know, those moments when you see them 5 or 10 years down the road and you imagine the young men and women they have become.

like when they took their first steps and i caught a glimpse of them running the bases in t-ball...

or when a friend hurt their feelings over something small and i caught a glimpse of their first broken heart...

or when they run in the house all sweaty and hot from playing with the boys in the neighborhood and the conversation goes like this:
"hey buddy- what's up?"
"nothing"
"what cha been doing?"
"playing"
"you having fun?"
"yeah"
and off he runs out the door. and from that 5-year old i catch a glimpse of a 15-year old who doesn't have very much to say....

it is because of these glimpses that i try to have patience with the day-to-day frustrations of parenting a 5 and almost 4 year old. more often than not i am unsuccessful. but i keep trying, because i know that they won't always be 5 and 4....they will be 15 and 14. and instead of praying that they will stop talking or that they will stop asking me questions or that they will let me have a moments peace, i will be begging them to share parts of their lives with me.

i was reminded of this recently when lincoln was following me from room-to-room in the house. no real agenda, just kind of being my shadow. and when i asked him, "buddy, what are you doing?" this was his reply....

"i just want to be where you are."

Father God, remind me that the days are long but the years are so very short. keep these glimpses ever present so that i will be reminded that the time is coming when my children may not always want to be where i am. help me treasure these precious moments and hide them in my heart.