Last Friday, I was having a rough start to my morning, which started the evening before.

There’s seven things/roles I try to fulfill each day:
Wife
Mom
Preschool Director
Housekeeper/Chef
Exercise partaker
Me time
God time

I know you may be thinking, why doesn’t “exercise partaker” fall under “me time”? That’s a great question. It’s because going to Jazzercise class and sitting on the couch eating Moose Tracks ice cream and Lay’s plain potato chips while watching a prerecorded House Hunters show is on totally different ends of the spectrum!

Each day no matter how hard I try, I’ve never been able to fulfill all seven roles. Something always gives.

On Thursday night, the “mom” role gave. My 6th grade daughter, who is SO responsible, gave me a school form on Monday that was due on Friday.

Thursday night it was absolutely necessary for me to make it to Jazzercise class. The stress from the week was taking a toll, and several circumstances prevented me from working out the week before. So, I was going on almost two weeks without a workout, which meant my back was feeling the strain.

I made Jazzercise a priority that evening, which meant the “mom” role gave, and the form didn’t get filled out.

I realized this fact Friday morning on the way into work.

This was all on me. It was my fault, as she had done her part by giving it to me.

Picturing my daughter with tears welling up, spilling out of her sensitive heart and into her eyes when she arrived in 5th period without the form, I called my husband to see if he could help me think through a rational, logical plan to get this to her at school, since I was coming up blank on a good plan.

Brandon (my husband) told me he would take care of it. This was not the plan that I wanted, as it wasn’t him who forgot, but I must admit, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

He had arrived at home and had FaceTimed me to help him find where I left the form, at the same time the sweet, sweet children, who are enrolled in the preschool where I work, started arriving for school that day.

I was tucked inside an empty classroom trying to sort out my short-coming via FaceTime, when Annie, a four-year-old, brought me a gift.

A blue bead.

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I asked if I could hug her, and she agreed. She, nor her mom, know how much this gesture meant to me during a time when I was trying to be very hard on myself.

Good grief, I have tears welling up now just recounting this!

I kept that bead in my pocket all day. Each time I felt of it, I smiled. My heart warmed. It brought such a warm feeling over me…a feeling of being loved just as I am, even when I make mistakes.

Did I NEED a blue bead? Nope. I wasn’t planning on making a bracelet or craft with beads.
Did I appreciate the blue bead? You betcha!

Does God NEED our gifts? Nope.
Does He appreciate them? You betcha!

When we give God our praise, money, time, and talents, it lets Him know how much we love Him, how grateful we are to Him. It’s the very thought of our gifts that reflects what is in our hearts.

Our generosity also changes those around us. Annie totally changed up my day with her blue bead gift. (And actually, since it’s almost a week later and this bead still makes me smile, Annie’s generosity is a gift that will keep on giving.)

Love God. Love others. Change the hearts around you by doing so.

If a four-year-old can do it, what’s stopping me? What’s stopping you?

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:36-40