Yes, Please Slow Down

We were done!  It was a glorious night of Awana Awards and the year of flexibility was over.  For those of you who don't know, our church was under a major construction project all year (and still is!) This caused our Awana program, for which I am the Commander of, to put on it's "flexibility hat" and go through the year, not knowing what things we might encounter during any given Sunday.

The Leadership Team had endured, showed up, championed the program, and continued to pour their hearts into the lives of well-over-a-hundred preschool and elementary kids. They were the rockstars that kept that canoe rowing.  They may not have known where their small group would meet until moments before needing to be there, but they never skipped a beat.  The kids felt secure and safe, knowing that their leaders had their backs.

I was in "Commander" mode during the Awards ceremony.  I hand my own kids their Awards, just as I hand them to all the other students.  I kind of detach myself and do my job during Awana.  It's a hard reality to look back on, but it is what it is.  This is all we know.

And now, it was all done.  Done.  Breathe big sigh of relief for a year well played.  But as I sat on the stairs in our home, I looked over at Jonah in his Awana jersey.  It hit me, he would take it off in a few minutes and put on his pajamas and head to bed.  And he wouldn't ever put that shirt back on.  He was done.  He was done with Awana.  How could this be?!  Wasn't I just sitting with him, wishing he was a little older so we could START Awana?  I wanted to help with the Awana program at church and wanted him to be older so I could volunteer, but with questions of apprehension swirling in my head like, "Would they need me?  Would they want me?  Would I be good enough to volunteer?"  I guess I really didn't need to think or worry about those things, given the current situation.  :)

Jonah started as a Cubbie at age 3.  He worked through Cubbies, through Sparks, through T&T, memorizing hundreds of Bible verses, doing Bible study and investigation, and completing tasks helping him to grow and build his faith.  And now he was finished.  I looked at him and my world suddenly gripped me.  How was he done?  How did we FLY through these 8 years?

I've been lamenting the days when my kids were little-little.  When they couldn't say their R's and said motodacka instead of motorcycle.  I always seemed to have a way of wishing my life was about 5 years in the future.  Now Timehop has a way of making me wish I was about 5 years in the past.

I found this song yesterday, by Nichole Nordeman.  She has been one of my favorite Christian artists for well over 10 years.  She wrote this song for her son who just completed 5th grade.  I watched and listened to it.  And I UGLY CRIED.  U.G.L.Y.  It's spot on.  Jonah's not done and gone.  I still have 7 years to go with him at home.  But I'm identifying with this song in that I just need things to Slooooooooooow Dowwwwwwnnnnnn.

So, this Mother's Day weekend, this is for all you mamas who just need the time to just slow down. Who just need to be able to enjoy a few moments and trap them in your memories and smile.  

Happy Mother's Day beautiful Mama's, near and far.