Perspective

I watched them walk in ahead of me...a cute, young mom and her beautiful little daughter. The mom was on her phone, and dragging pulling her toddler along by her hand. The baby was having a hard time keeping up!

PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN was my first thought...as I walked into the store...by myself.

I saw him crying, sitting in the buggy while his mom shopped close-by.

PICK HIM UP was my first thought...as I pushed my empty buggy past them...as I shopped...by myself.

Isn't it easy how quick we are to judge when we are in a different stage of life?

My two youngest kids are in school...one in HIGH school and the other in college. One of ours is married. And Joshua, my shopping buddy, wasn't with me on this day.

Side note: There are times...very rare times...when my two younger boys want to come to the store with me. Mostly, I think it's because they want to kill me dead right then and there. They can be so fun together, but also soooo exhausting, because they are LOUD and borderline annoying. They are grabbing things to put in the buggy and horsing around...and I'm talking they are 17 and 21 years old. GOOF BALLS! Seriously, if any of these younger moms were to see us, I'm sure they would think, "my sweet boys will NEVER act like that!" Or, maybe the sight of my crazy boys would be birth-control for them! Ha!

Anyway, back to this post...it didn't take but a minute to remember back to those days...4 kids, 1 frustrated mom. Oh, I got "the look" a lot.

Come on, MOMS! Let's stop and take a step back to where we used to be...and before we think those judgmental thoughts about what a person should or should not do, let's offer grace...and maybe a prayer...for those who are trying to raise their children in this crazy, crazy world.

"These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and children." Titus 2:4

(Nothing has pained me more than typing those two words: older women. Ugh. I need to lie down...)