The word for this beautiful Saturday is Listen. Our reading is from James 1:22. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” How does listening lead to doing in finding your quiet? Is there a place you go to listen? #cumc #lentenphotochallenge2020 #findingyourquiet

I do have a few places I go to to listen. But, as I scrolled through pictures, this one kept tugging at me.

This is sweet Kirby. This is a scrapbook page I designed a few years ago for him. He is going “Shhhhhhhhh!” as he holds his finger to his lips. He had been upstairs brushing his teeth and came down to hide from Hubby to prolong going to bed. He saw me and said “Shhhh!” He is so sweet, so charismatic, and brings such joy to us.

I called Kirby my “grounding” baby. I had climbed up a step professionally and threw myself into my work 150% often forgetting about what really mattered… my family. I think I was trying to find myself after being a first-time mom. I wanted to prove that I could do it all. I would work tirelessly in the summer and on weekends, and then I got pregnant with Kirby.

What a very needed wake up call! He taught me how to enjoy life again. How to breathe. How to just be. He taught me to soak in the small moments again. He taught my heart to smile again. He taught me that family is everything. He brought me back to my family when I had been pulling away.

So, today, when I saw the word was listen and came across this picture, my heart melted. Kirby taught me how to listen again. Listen to the quiet spaces. Enjoy life in the moment and love your people fiercely. And for that I am forever thankful and grateful for this little guy.