Life Set Apart

One Tuesday last fall, I was walking into MomCo with my hair nearly on fire. It was one of the first meetings where I had two kids to take to a Tuesday MomCo meeting at church. At the entrance of the door, I was met with our mentor Mom, Ms Ramona. She’s so incredibly wise, a generation ahead of us, and she is real and true on every account. I wasn’t expecting to pour my struggles out at the entrance door to church that morning, but I guess that’s just how it goes at MomCo meetings. Your safe space just opens you up just like the door held by our mentor Mom. I began to tell her about the struggle I had in the car with my oldest son who had recently turned three. I believe it was another one of those mornings that he decided to fling his socks and shoes off his feet during our 30 minute car ride to church. Or maybe it was one of those mornings he briefly had a meltdown at the entrance of the door? I honestly don’t remember now. But I do remember feeling frustrated. Why was I in disbelief that he did exactly what I asked him not to do… then in head shaking shock that I actually expected him to do as I asked… silly me every time… And you know her response?

“It was just a hiccup.”

Hmm… just a hiccup? I thought for a moment. Everything was suddenly put into perspective again. You know, things WERE going well on our drive. We did make it to MomCo in a decent amount of time. No one was screaming in the car. Everything else was okay. No one was hurt… should I go on?

“Ooo, I like that. It was just a hiccup. I will use that next time!” Peace came over me. Thankfulness for all the good that went on in the morning. All the moments of success were suddenly much larger than that one failure… but now we will just call it a hiccup. Just a hiccup.

Just a hiccup doesn’t need to change the rest of my morning. Just a hiccup doesn’t need to burst my hair up into flames. Just a hiccup doesn’t need to make me tail spin into believing I’m a bad Mom. Just a hiccup doesn’t need to change the way I had planned to greet the rest of the group or change the way that I walked into the meeting.

God can change my morning. Kids have unexpected behaviors. Kids create unplanned moments. Those moments can either throw a full wrench into my day or God can use it, redeem it or restore it and then turn it. And He did so that morning through Ms Ramona’s sweet words “It was just a hiccup.”

The rest of the day went well and I’m reminded now of plenty of good days where sometime’s there’s just a hiccup.

I am reminded of God’s word as I write this. A verse I actually have hanging in my master bathroom to read each morning as I get ready for my day:

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

I may have planned for the morning to go as smooth as possible. I may have been as proactive as possible to avoid such behaviors. Or I may have forgotten to prepare for these misconducts or an alteration to my morning tasks and goals. But God is over every moment. He sometimes allows or orchestrates these moments for us. They are for our greater good, for our children’s good. They are teaching moments. Sometimes teaching moments for us, sometimes for them. But God’s plans and purpose isn’t for us to have a perfectly smooth morning every day. Sometimes we will experience a hiccup. Some mornings it may be a catastrophic event… but even on those mornings, God’s plans will prevail and he is remains sovereign.

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21

Jesus is Lord over my day. He is Lord over my car ride into MomCo. He is Lord over my children and their actions, emotions and behaviors. And if I let Him be Lord over my life as well, he will provide words, correction, and guidance and new steps to continue on His path for my life, living for His glory, sanctifying me with every hiccup along the way.

Thank you Jesus for hiccups and speaking to me through Ms Ramona. Thank you for being Lord over my life. You are my greatest delight in my every day, even in the hiccups of life.