Last Updated on March 20, 2018

I got up early this morning to have a quiet time on the patio. I have my cup of raspberry earl grey tea with honey, my beautiful journal given by a friend, my inspiring book, my favorite blue pen and my dear Bible. I’m so excited to get started pondering deep truths in the still of the morning before the humidity makes it unbearable and the children make it impossible to have any kind of profound thought.

My expectations are high for a glorious start to the day …

Alas, my expectations are entirely too high. I have not been sitting out here more than 10 minutes when I hear the creak of the back door as it slowly opens revealing my youngest daughter. She has the amazing ability to hear me tip-toe silently down the stairs. Now, I must tell you on a school day she would sleep through a cat fight in the hallway. But not so on a sweet summer morning. Nope, no way.

I cannot help but be acutely disappointed by the interruption. I smile and say, “Hey sweetie, can you please go back to bed?” Even though I know that is absolutely not an option. It was worth a try, right?

She asked for breakfast, a movie, can she play with my phone, can she ride her bike, can I help her pick out her clothes … and on and on and on. My quiet is over. I’m not sure it started.

It’s not five minutes later when my 7-year-old joins us. I’m sure my 12-year-old is close behind … ahhhhh!

I wonder how early I will have to get up to have an uninterrupted quiet time?

But today I decided to embrace my children as welcomed interruptions. They are blessed interruptions—loud, but blessed.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am blessed … why do I need to remind myself? It should be second nature, thinking thankfully. Good golly! I have five wonderful children! That is a tremendously good thing!

I always say I’m spontaneous. So maybe I can turn this disaster of a quiet time into something quite wonderful! I will do a quiet time with my children. We will talk about the Lord, read His Word, and pray about our day … I like it!

Lord, thank You for my beautiful children. Thank You for a lovely place to sit and be interrupted. Thank You for children who love to be with me. Thank You for Your Word and how it blesses me and my children. Thank You, Father, for the reminder of the delightful distractions that you have given me in each of my children!

Sue Birdseye is an author and communicator who shares the adventures she has on her unexpected journey of single parenting. She went from the typical “picket fence” kind of life to being a single mom to five beautiful children. She has learned what it means to be totally dependent upon the Lord and how beautiful that dependence is.

Her change of life circumstances has led to a passionate desire to encourage and bless other moms no matter their life circumstances. She has been active in her community as a foster/adoptive mom and public school teacher. She has also been part of her church’s worship, discipleship, women’s, and children’s ministries. She is an avid book reader, a game night hoster, and an early morning writer. Her book “When Happily Ever After Shatters” is the story of how God stepped into her life and the lives of her children just when everything seemed to be falling apart. She hopes that her writing will encourage, bless, and maybe even make someone smile.

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One Comment

  1. Sue, I feel ya. So often my plans to accomplish…anything take a backseat to this job as a mom. I know you wouldn’t trade it for the entire world. Neither would I. But it’s hard to be thankful in those moments. Thanks for the reminder I should spend more time being thankful for those interruptions. They are precious.

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