A Spring of Joy

Their voices overlapped and interrupted, rising in intensity and excitement as they remembered and repeated and replayed scene after scene of the movie. It had only been 2 days since they had seen it, and along with their friend riding home with us that day, they had memorized half the movie (how do they DO that?!). The soundtrack played over our car stereo, and someone would say, “Oh, this is when…”

I quickly tuned them out. After all, what did it matter to me? It was just a movie. A sweet movie, but a movie nonetheless.

Then my Bella said, “Mommy, remember when…?” and I was forced to pay attention and involve myself with a half-hearted, “Oh, yes, dear.” Quickly, distractions pulled my thoughts away from a silly movie, and then I heard, “Mom, remember when…?” and I was pulled back again from my reverie. “Wasn’t that neat?” I came up with quickly, not even knowing what they had said.

I groused inwardly. After all, it’s just a movie. Why do they keep distracting me from my thoughts? My mental to do-list is much more important that a little ol’ movie. What does it matter?

You know what’s coming, don’t you?

It mattered to them.

It wasn’t just a movie to them.

It was important to them.

They enjoyed reliving it.

And if it mattered to them, well then it mattered to me, because they matter to me. And I was reminded again that this mommyhood thing is not about me… it’s about them and it’s about Him.

And I realized how many times I come to God with my repeated requests and demands and frustrations and joys, and He doesn’t ignore me or push me out of his mind or let me chatter away while He thinks about something else.

He listens and He cares.

Because it matters to me.

And if it matters to me, it matters to Him.

It matters.

And that is enough.