Practical Tidbits Among the Chaos (AKA: Bible-Reading with a Toddler Around)

I just finished reading my Bible out of the front porch. It seemed like such a good idea at first, so that Charlie could play with the dog and run around, and I could actually read my Bible without the little munchkin jumping on me.

I opened up to Psalm 70.

vs 1a: “Make haste, O God, to deliver me!”

Me: Charlie! Don’t sweep the plants! Just sweep the ground.

vs 1b: “O Lord, make haste to help me!”

Me: Charlie, you need to listen to me. I said NOT to sweep the plants. And don’t sweep the dog either. JUST sweep the ground.

…vs 4a: “May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you!”

Charlie grabs my coffee cup and drops it, shattering into a gazillion little shards. [Bible-reading break to clean up the mess]

vs 4a (again): “May all who seek you rejoice and be glad IN YOU!” (i.e. not in coffee cups or children or things going well in life)

Me: No, Charlie. You may not sweep the dog…And I don’t want to be swept either. Please – don’t put the broom on me.

vs 4b-5: “May those who love your salvation say evermore, ‘God is great!’ But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!”

Me: Oh, Charlie – we already fed the dog. Stay out of the dog food, okay? Thank you, Jesus, for such practical help for every moment!

If somehow this sort of scenario feels chaotic and disjointed, then you’re probably interpreting everything correctly! But I do think God gives special grace to mommies and helps them glean tidbits among the chaos for means of survival.

[But I better go, because I just peeked in the kitchen and found Charlie, with his chair pulled up to the counter and chocolate all over his face. I said, “Charlie…are you eating treats? Did you ask Mommy?” He promptly said “please” in sign language, smiled, and said, “Mmmmmm.”]