Three Gifts In My Weakness

A couple of months ago I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).  I now know my symptoms pretty well and most of the time can feel when my glucose level is low or dropping. The other night I had a rare episode, but God used it to give me a sweet moment with my three big boys.

As I rocked and read to our one year old before bed, I felt first my face flood with heat and then the rest of my body. My fingers started tingling, and with shaky hands I dropped the baby in his crib blowing a goodnight kiss to his startled face at his bedtime routine being cut short. I knew what was coming and quickly laid on the floor in my bedroom calling for our oldest son to bring me some peanut butter crackers and gatorade to raise my blood sugar.

Caleb, our firstborn, is our leader always ready for action, and without missing a beat he ran for the food I needed, found my phone, and called Kennon to see what he needed to do next to take care of me. Our second son, who is incredibly thoughtful and creatively expressive, ran to get his scissors and crayons! He cut out a few creations including a little heart, wrote me a note, and laid them by my side saying,  "Mom I made you some things to help you feel better." Our third son, who is three years old, sat down in front of me on the floor calmly holding the crackers and gatorade eager to hand me each one. I will always have that picture in my mind of his loyal little self serving me and not leaving my side until he knew I was ok. They each showed love through their unique gifts, personalities, and love languages. I was fine and regained my energy, but all night I couldn't quit thinking about each boy's response to seeing their mom in need.

In my weakness I got to experience love in three special ways. Sometimes at night I'll ask the boys "what gifts did God give you today." Usually this is my antidote for someone who had a "bad day" or who is plagued with complaint syndrome. It's fun to try to go back through their day and find God's gifts in the most unlikely situations. In doing this I've realized how often my own circumstances, agenda, busyness, and self focus can blind me as well from seeing God's gifts throughout my day. I'm humbled and thankful I didn't miss the sweet gift of seeing my children and experiencing in a tangible way how God has uniquely wired each one to love and serve.