Wake-up Calls

William Arthur Ward~

"Blessed is the woman who has a smile in her voice, a sparkle in her eyes, a song on her lips; a spring in her step, a warmth in her touch, a depth in her beauty, a purpose for her life, a joy in her faith, a hope in her breast and a love in her heart."


I've always loved that quote above and in fact, it's been on my sidebar for years. It's something I've tried to live by though I haven't always been successful.  And lately, I have been realizing how far short I actually fall. 

It's so easy to write one thing and live another, isn't it?  And yet, I don't want to be a hypocrite.  I want to live out what I actually say.  So I'm constantly working on having a repentant heart and walking my talk. 

This week was one of those wake up calls.  I woke up as I heard the frustration and pain in my son's voice as he is struggling to relearn some math for an employment test and yet, I was too distracted with business and social media to help him.  I woke up as I realized it had been almost two weeks since I had reached out to my other child who is away at college.  I woke up as my daughter retreated into herself and I discovered she was hurt over something I had said in my haste and hurry. 

I often put family down on the bottom of my priority list because I get wrapped up in other things.  I can be joyful and happy with the rest of the world, but a total grouch at home.  I can be patient, kind and sweet to others but impatient, mean and harsh with my family.

Those wake-up calls that God sends me from time to time really hurt.  But I'm glad I get them.  Yesterday, Dan and Nathan went to pick up Stephen from college.  I spent the day cleaning my house and making order from the chaos.  I canceled a couple of things that would have pulled me further away.  I spent time in prayer for my husband and children.  I made phone calls that I had been putting off but were necessary to help my son.  I worked on restoring my relationship with my daughter, as we talked and baked cookies together.  I was joyful, upbeat, happy and "in the moment" with my family.

We all went to bed cheerful and at peace and the benefit was I slept soundly all night long.  And that was a first in a long time because I had been getting those little nudges from the Holy Spirit in the middle of the night lately.

Wake-up calls are a good thing, aren't they?