What Really Matters

Our family is gearing up for a BIG weekend. Eli is getting dedicated at church on Sunday and we have lots of family and friends coming to be a part of the service. I have allowed myself to be filled with anxiety about the entire weekend. Yesterday, as I was stressing about outfits, meals, house cleaning, and a baby with a runny nose I stopped and realized that I was allowing all the extraneous details of the weekend to steal my joy. God has given us an amazing family, Jason and I have three beautiful, sweet sons and we enjoy a wonderful life together.
This Sunday we will have the opportunity to publicly thank God for our baby son and dedicate ourselves to raise him in the knowledge of the power and love of Jesus Christ. That is what matters, not if we have enough food to feed everyone or if Eli's outfit is perfect or if he spits up right as the pastor takes him.
It is so easy to get caught up in the trappings of this world, isn't it? Satan is so good at getting our eye off the prize. He can't stop us from dedicating Eli to the Lord, but he can take our focus off of what really matters. I have been so distracted by the 'stuff' that needs to get done I haven't been able to relax and enjoy the moment.
Life is about those moments that aren't planned, but just happen. If we think back on the best memories we have, many of them are probably fun times that happened spontaneously. Not the perfectly planned details, but the unexpected surprises.
I am such a structured person, (or at least I was before I had a baby). Now that I have a husband, three boys, and a puppy, God is teaching me about flexibility.
Well, we'll see what blessings God has in store for our weekend. I'll share the pictures and surprises with you on Monday!