Sometimes it takes a couple of sparkly bugs

If we had nicknames as mamas, mine would arguably be "The hammer". I am from the camp of with much love comes much discipline. I am a believer of bedtimes, asking to be excused, routines and using your manners. That being said, I got a lesson on breaking the rules one night with a barefoot little cherub and some bugs.

I had just gotten home from ladies group at church on Wednesday night. I snuggled with my little ones as I laid them in their beds. My oldest was last. I sat there talking to him about what we did today. What he liked and disliked, when he cut me off mid sentence. He threw his arms around my neck and told me "I missed you mama". Forget that I have been with him 6 days in a row with no break. I was gone 2 hours and he felt it important enough to tell me he missed me. I whispered into his sweaty hair that, I too missed him. We did our final bear hugs (compete with grrrs) and I closed the door.

I had changed into my jammies and was doing the final pick up in the house when a light out the window caught my eye. I stopped and saw that the back porch was being lit with the occasional lighting bug saying hello. I quickly was thrown back to a time of hot barefoot nights of glass jars and giggles. I thought of my precious one in bed and how he had probably never seen the wonder of a lightning bug. All because of the hammers bedtime rules.

I reasoned to myself that his little body needed his sleep and how grumpy he would be in the morning. Then The One who loves my precious boy even more than me whispered to my heart. "Get him up".

I found myself tiptoeing to his room. I whispered that I had a surprise for him and to follow me. We walked hand in hand to the back porch with a glass jar in my other hand. We sat quietly on the back porch steps as I tried to explain the magic of a lightning bug. His eyes lit up as he would shout " There's one!!!" and frantically point, only to see another and another. We ventured off the porch in the dusk to try to catch us a lightening bug. We never did catch one but the grass was cool against our bare feet and the air felt good against our warm skin.

We sat back on the porch, my boy and I, this time in silence. I was thinking of the fierce love for my children that was so intense it almost chocked me. I knew that I would always remember this moment. He obviously was thinking Owls. He busted out with...

"Mama, where are the owls?"

I tried to keep a very serious face as I explained that we were city folk and owls were out in the country. He pondered that for a moment then responded with " Oh yeah, they are with the wolves and coyotes" My heart almost burst with unyielding love as we sat there discussing the animals that were in the woods and country before we fell back in silence.

That is when he let out the biggest man toot and burst into a fit of giggles.

Thank you Lord for that boy of mine.