Bedtime story

Have I told you all how much I LOVE being a mom. I LOVE BEING A MOM! I am soooo incredibly thankful and will never ever ever take it for granted. (I have walked with too many women who for some unknown reason have yet to be given this great honor. I have seen their turmoil, the intensity of desire, and my own soul mourns with them......hang in there my friends). To be given this great honor and privilege of having 5 precious souls to love and to teach about Jesus is indeed, humbling.
Last night, I sat with these 5 (actually 4- Elyse was in bed) little souls reading them all a bedtime story. The story is by Max Lucado entitled "Tell Me the story" (I highly recommend it to all you moms out there). As we were reading a chapter called, "Resurrection Morning" I kept getting choked up. I was reading sentences like;
"If you'd seen Him do what we've seen Him do, you would stay, too" and
"I noticed He was different. He didn't demand we let Him go. He didn't shout or resist. And when we hammered the spike into His hand, He held his hand still. He didn't fight." "Sounds like something He would do." "He never seemed angry...He never blamed anyone. People were cursing and laughing at Him, but not once did I see His eyes lose their calm."
Near the end of the story I read, "Who is this man?Who is this Jesus?" "Is there any doubt?" Mary said. Her eyes were bright. She jumped to her feet as she spoke. "I saw Him! I saw Him risen from the dead. He is who He said He was. He is the son of God!"
A story that should have taken 15 minutes to read took about 25 because I could not stop crying. Reese, who was sitting next to me began wiping the tears from my eyes asking, "Mommy, why are you sad?" Max, sitting next to Reese, said to her in a gentle voice, "Reese, why don't you go get mommy a "nina" (Reese's word for kleenx). Zeke, sitting in a chair across the room, comes running towards me, jumps in my lap and just hugs me. Jake, sitting in another couch across the room building cool things with his legos, sat quietly I'm sure hoping his mom would pull it together.
My response to Reese's question was, "Oh honey, I'm not sad. I just love Jesus soooo much. He is soo awesome. I can't help but cry when i read about His life and goodness." I was so deeply touched by my children's concern and compassion for me. It was one of those experiences I will record in my book so I never forget it (I probably better record it today or it will be gone ,the way my mind forgets things). However, I was even more deeply touched reading about my Jesus. I was reminded, last night, of the depth of longing in my soul for God, for The One who is perfect love. What is it about God's beauty and His ways that bring me to tears. And what are tears, anyway? (maybe I'll ponder that tomorrow). For today, may I encourage you, if you are a mom ,to enjoy the gift you've been given and give those little souls a taste of Jesus today. And to all women, may I encourage you to read or meditate upon the beauty of Jesus. If He doesn't affect your soul, ask yourself, "why?" He, surely is, soul- affecting. Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered! Kristy Link