#YesToGod

Our yes stories won’t always be big. Sometimes surrendering in the small things brings the greatest blessing.

Here's a little sneak peek into my daily life and one little way I chose to surrender...

Last week was to the dentist with my kids. I have taken my two oldest with no problem before but this was the first time I was taking them along with their little brothers...affectionately nick-named "the squawker". It wasn't that I hadn't tried to find an alternative place for him to be while we went there...especially since it was smack in the middle of his afternoon nap time, but nothing seemed to work out. So, I decided I would just make the best of it and hopefully we would all three come out with clean teeth and call it good.

As Mom's do, I was hoping beyond hope, that since he hadn't taken a nap earlier that afternoon maybe he would fall asleep on the way to the dentist and I could just transport him from his car seat ever so gingerly into his stroller and he would just, like the sweet little child that he is, sleep right through my dentist appointment. Obviously if that was the case, I probably wouldn't be blogging about "surrendering" in the small things! :)

Well, not only did he not fall asleep but he was wired full-steam when we arrived at the dentist. We arrived early and went to the waiting room to wait for our appointment. Sir "Squawker" started at squawking in his stroller while his two older siblings were reading. Then they started tickling him and trying to make him laugh, which annoyed me because I'm thinking "he needs to go to sleep...that is our only hope!" Of course smart me thinks "I will take him out and try to bounce him to sleep" (it has worked before). Not so. Holding him was like trying to restrain the bucking bronco at a rodeo. He was flailing, grabbing my earrings, reaching, twisting, giggling...he thought this was so funny. I was not amused. The familiar feelings of "big fail" came over me as I felt like we had just brought major chaos into the office and everyone there was probably thinking "wow she sure is an out of control Mom...why did she bring all these kids here?"...or something along those lines.

However, as I'm feeling these panic frustrated thoughts and I'm walking back and forth wondering what I should do and how I'm going to come through this without losing my cool, I felt God remind me to pray. I remembered that God was there with me and his Holy Spirit lived inside of me and would be my helper. I began to pray for peace over my son, peace over me, grace to not lose my joy or witness. I said "yes" to God's truth and "no" to my flesh. Soon after I did that the two receptionists began to talk to me about their own sons of similar ages and relate to my situation. They began to empathize with me. It made me feel slightly better.

As our names we called, I ended up putting him into the stroller again with his blanket and a snack (yay for dried mangos!). Amazingly it went well. We all got our teeth cleaned and no one would've known little mr. in the stroller was the same kid squawking in the waiting room! What happened? The peace of God? Yes. Blessings on my saying "yes" to God in the small thing? I think so.

The simplest, yet most amazing thing happened next. Two of the girls who worked there, one of whom had been empathizing with me previously, and the other a dental hygienist who had just had her first baby 9 weeks ago, came to my room and started talking to me about parenting advice. God's humor is too much! Just when I felt like the worst out-of-control parent, he sent me someone to ask for my advice. I guess it helps to know someone is real and relate able. :) They came for advice because they had heard from my hygienist that I'm a great Mom and do some cool things with my kids. I was stunned! I didn't know that she was watching me, nor that she had found fruit in my life. I was humbled. I was thrilled to encourage those young Moms in their journey...

I am so thankful I had the courage and faith to say YES to God's prompting to trust Him and change my attitude, so I was ready to encourage someone else...even in the midst of my chaotic Mom moment. I wonder where their journey will go and if they will remember our "meeting" in the dentist that day. One never knows where the small connections of God will go.