Their fruit is used for food, and their leaves for healing. Ezekiel 47:12
Jocelyn broke down crying one day, a few weeks ago. An outsider would have seen that there was no specific event that triggered it. They would have presumed she were crying for no reason. I knew better.
When life gets busy, I’m less available to my kids. In this case, we had just lost power for three days, after a windstorm had brought down the electrical lines. I was up to my eyeballs in all the things I had to catch up on: laundry, housework, more laundry, email, grocery shopping, sleep, rescheduled class parties and meetings, etc.
Although she’s in second grade now, Jocelyn still needs a lot of love and cuddling. With all the craziness from the power outage, she wasn’t getting what she needed. Her meltdown was my cue to drop what I was doing, and just hold her. So I did.
I sat on the hallway steps and pulled her onto my lap. She cried, and I just held her. Neither one of us talked, or rocked back and forth. It was just a simple embrace, for as long as she needed it.
After about five or six minutes, she pulled away and smiled. I asked her if she was okay. She said yes. Then she wiped her eyes, got up, and went her merry way.
It was as if the hug hit her “reset” button, like when we reboot our computers or other devices. It took her back to center, and cleared away the buildup of neglect.
It was so crystal clear to me because I’m the same way. I cruise along, neglecting downtime and prayer, in an attempt to get it all done. Then I hit a wall, and have my own meltdown. The only way I can reset is if I step away, and step into God’s arms.
Like I am for Jocelyn, God is my Healer. It’s time just sitting quietly in His embrace that I am reset, taken back to center, and the buildup of chaos is cleared away.
Questions For Reflection:
* Can I identify when my kids need a “reset?”
* What techniques do I use to heal them when they need it?
* Can I identify when I need a “reset?”
* Do I turn to God to heal me when I need it?
Shifting My Perspective 
Oh, Claire, this touches my heart! You are so attuned to your kids–what a blessing for them!
A great lesson for when things become overwhelming. God bless you! xo
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Thanks, Mom! Although I wish I could eliminate the times that life gets overwhelming, that isn’t a reality. So it’s nice having Jocelyn remind me what centers and heals us both. 🙂
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Absolutely beautiful Claire. What a lucky girl she is that you knew what she needed and what a blessing she is to you!
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Thanks so much for your kinds words, Jess. And I agree completely about Jocelyn. She is such a blessing. She manages to mirror back to me what I need, and often times is the source that fulfills that need. Lucky, lucky me!
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Awesome post AND picture, Claire! I remember my mom doing the same for me one day, when I was in high school. Neither one of us had any words, but she knew what I needed (thank God, because I didn’t even know what was wrong at the time. I guess I just needed to feel loved).
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So great that your mom knew what you needed, Jean. Although I’m not surprised: she’s amazing! We’ve all been there – so off kilter we don’t know why, or how to get back to center. Thank goodness for moms, and God! Thanks for sharing your story, Jean. It means a lot. 🙂
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