Mickey Mouse saved my "quiet" time!

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You know you did it, too.

Before you had kids, you heard some screaming banshee in the grocery store and you thought, “If that were my child . . . ”

And if you’re anything like me, you probably had a mental list of “I’ll nevers” that looked something like this:

• “I’ll never yell at my children.”
• “I’ll never bribe my children.”
• “I’ll never use the TV as a babysitter.”

And then you had kids. And the view from the playing field sure is different than the view from the bleachers.

And you learn quick that as a mom, sometimes you “do what you gotta do.”

But even with that motto, these days I find myself in a bit of a predicament.

I can’t make my life work.

I am totally undone. I have three children, two of which I’m supposed to potty train this summer, a “new” house with a mile long list of things to do, an “old” house to sell, this whole writing “thing” and, oh yeah, I need to lose forty more pounds.

Shoot me now.

In light of all this, it might surprise you to know that in the past couple of months, I’ve been experiencing my own personal revival.

And I have Mickey Mouse to thank for it.

That’s right.

One morning, in total desperation, I plopped James down in the recliner with a muffin and a cup of milk, turned on Mickey Mouse, grabbed my Bible and found my way to the ugliest chair you have ever seen (trust me, up close it's disgusting), left behind by the previous owners and strategically located on my deck.

I didn’t know what would happen, but that dear little mouse bought me a few moments to attempt to have some time with the Lord.

And this time, instead of approaching God with a to-do list or a plan, I just came. And let me tell you, it’s amazing what He can do with my chaos.

Some mornings, my “quiet” time never gets off the ground. James follows me and wants to play. Drew wakes up and wants to eat. Emma comes out and wants to snuggle.

But some mornings, there are no interruptions and as I come to Him, weary, burdened and sleep-deprived, as I spend time in the Word and learn of Him, as I give Him each day and ask Him to show me what to do and what can wait, He is faithful. His yoke is easy. His burden is light. And I am finding rest for my soul.

Don’t get me wrong . . . I’m not out there with Greek dictionaries and concordances as I fact-check my way through a Beth Moore study.

Right now, I’m just reading through Psalms. Nothing elaborate about it. But as I show up, I’m finding that He’s already there, waiting for me. And that ugly chair is turning into my own little patch of holy ground.

I don’t know how your life is going this summer, but can I encourage you in this? Don’t buy into the concept that during this “season of life” you get a pass on spending time with your Savior. It’s during this “season of life” that you and I need Him more desperately than we ever have before.

Don’t wait until you’ve got it all together. And don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Let the kids watch some TV, grab a cup of coffee, find a corner and show up.

Whether it’s 30 seconds or 30 minutes, He will meet you there.

In fact, He’s already waiting.