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I love being a mother. There’s nothing in the entire world I’d rather do than be a wife to my husband, Daniel, and be called mother by innocent little children who God trusted into our care. Yet life is real and we face real challenges and many times we find ourselves turning to a God who is also real, even though we can’t see Him with our mortal eyes.
Motherhood comes with a host of blessings, along with its challenges and responsibilities. Cradling a newborn, for instance, is truly a priceless blessing. But then I find the test of true commitment intensifying as my sleep levels wane and baby keeps squirming and crying with a tummy ache as Daniel and I pace the floor in an attempt to soothe the dear little infant.
At 21 months old, our son, Austin, and his mom and dad sleep much more soundly than the first year after he was born. Last night was a good example of one of those “real” moments in motherhood.
A nasty sore in his mouth kept Austin from sleeping like he usually does. After two hours, he fell into a restless sleep. I took him to bed with us where he snuggled beside Daniel.
After several hours of refreshing sleep, I was ready to take Austin who was fully awake once more. It was 3 a.m. I rocked him and sang to him and tried this and that. Nothing seemed to work. His big innocent eyes wouldn’t shut. All was dark and peacefully quiet in the surrounding countryside as I kept rocking, singing and praying.
In his sweet little voice, he began saying “nack, nack,” meaning snack. He was probably feeling the results of having not been able to eat as much the day before. I was encouraged with the thought of his mouth feeling better if he was requesting something to eat. I was unsure what I should give him, not wanting to irritate his sore. I decided he should have something warm, not just a snack.
I reheated mashed potatoes in the dimly lit kitchen. After a second and third helping, he spotted the cinnamon rolls I had made. I debated whether to give him one. “He won’t eat a lot,” I decided, proceeding to cut one in half. Obviously he rated himself to be several sizes bigger than his little boy stature, as he reached for a whole one. I set the cinnamon roll on the table and he began eating the frosting off the top of it, animal style.
After Austin finished his “nack” and his face was washed, it was time to give another try putting him to sleep. As the first streaks of daylight began radiating through the darkness of night, my dear little heart (what I often call my children) finally fell into a peaceful slumber. Daniel took care of his own breakfast before leaving for work, enabling me to sleep an hour longer.
On days such as ones following my eventful night, I keep meals simple because I’m more limited on time and energy. Corn on the cob from the garden and fresh tomato sandwiches with onions and cucumbers are something we enjoy. You might be surprised by one of Daniel’s first picks of a supper on an especially hot and humid day. It might not sound like a hit but, as my dad always said, “Don’t say you don’t like it until you’ve tried it!”
It’s the most basic meal at our household. Try it, you’ll be amazed how satisfying and refreshing it is.
Peaches can be used in place of strawberries.
SUMMER DAY
STRAWBERRY SOUP
½ cup chopped strawberries, partially frozen
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar to taste
One sleeve of saltine crackers
Mix berries, milk and sugar. Crumble a handful of crackers into your bowl. Ladle strawberry mixture on top. Stir and enjoy.
