One of God’s Greatest Gifts to Me

What I have learned this week is that there are just times when no matter what you do, you can’t quite accomplish what you had planned or maintain the positive attitude you typically bop around with. God has lessons for us to learn & we need to remember to listen for his gentle voice.

I have had one of those weeks that flew by(and NOT smoothly)…despite my best laid plans, 60% of what I “scheduled” did NOT get accomplished and I will just have to find a way to accept that. Running a household of 8 is not always the “easiest” journey. I use two large desk calendars on the mudroom wall to manage everyone’s schedules and appointments as well as my trusty calendar on my iPhone. I am pretty sure if an alarm on my phone didn’t go off to tell me where I need to be that it is highly unlikely I would remember it on my own 😉

My husband leaves each morning around 6:45 and returns by 5:30 most evenings. As my mom likes to kid, I am the “World’s Worst Housewife” because MOST nights….HE COOKS SUPPER!!! That’s right; this stay-at-home mom (whatever that means because if you happen to be like me, you spend 75% of your day in your vehicle running kids to and fro) only cooks about 20% of our family’s meals. Lucky for me, my husband LOVES to cook! He often even “threatens” he’s going to open a restaurant. Thankfully, he realizes the time commitment that would require and cooking for our family is enough to keep his head on straight! Our kids handle clean-up which usually gives us 20-30 minutes to relax together and catch-up. Sometimes this means a cuddle on the couch, a quick run into town to grab a yummy treat, or even a laundry folding tag team session so we can be done with chores for the night! I am truly grateful to him for always being willing to help!

This week he could see that I was down to my very last thread of patience. The kids had been particularly unruly and they weren’t getting their chores done in the timely manner I expected. On top of that, the bickering and antagonizing that was taking place was about to drive me over the edge! Daddy decided it was time for a family meeting. After they completed their clean-up duties, he sat us all down in the living room and began to tell us that we were not acting like the loving, committed family that he knew we really were. He explained to the kids that it wasn’t acceptable to speak to one another in a rude or sassy tone and that he expected them to be considerate and helpful to one another and to me as well. Then he extended his hands out to the side and we all linked hands in a circle and he prayed aloud for our family.

I sat there, head bowed holding his hand on my right and our youngest daughter’s hand to my left and the tears just streamed down my face. Not only was I surrounded by my most favorite people on earth, but I could feel the loving support of our God. Life is overwhelming sometimes. Whether it’s a major event or just one of those weeks that nothing seems to go your way…we are all human and we need to remember to slowdown and ask, “Jesus take the Wheel”(as the song goes). I let my frustration get the better of me and it compounded until I exploded with disappointment, frustration and anger.

It is at times like this when I thank God I am married to my husband. He compliments me perfectly; he’s my best friend, totally my better half….and an AMAZING role model to our children…and to ME!!! I don’t always understand at the time the lesson God is trying to teach me, but thankfully, he NEVER gives up on me and he has blessed me with a wonderful partner that helps me find my way.

Take a moment this week to slowdown, pray with your family and thank God for the blessings in your life. At times, those “blessings” may drive you crazy, but if you just stop and hold their hands, tell them what they mean to you and SHOW them patience, love and understanding….they will follow your lead!

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Articles by Traci Runge

Traci Runge

Traci was born and raised in San Diego and has called Kearney, Nebraska home for the past 18 years. She is married to Darby Runge and together they have 6 children. They own and operate Pro-Tint, a window tinting business. Along with being a full-time mom, Traci is also a Manager and Certified Trainer with SendOutCards, she works with businesses and individuals to build relationships and grow their income through Relationship Marketing. Traci works hard to balance her roles of mother, wife and business owner. She strives to help make the world a better place through kindness and love and leading by example. Traci is committed to her family, church and community and can often be found volunteering in some capacity. www.sendoutcards.com/tracirunge