God Moments...

You know what a God moment is don't you? Those little moments in time where you just know He is there with you? Or those scenes in nature where you see His presence?

We had our own little God moment today that I wanted to share. I have been having a terrible time with Hope and T.J. arguing and fighting since school got out. They have had plenty of time apart during the days, so it's not that they are spending too much time together, but they just cannot seem to get along. Each one seems to interpret the other's comment, question, or accidental touch to be a personal attack, slur, or sheer ignorance without even bothering to consider what the true intent was.

Well, last week, I had had it up to the last curl on my 5 foot 4 inch blonde head with their bickering! While window shopping on Amazon, I came across a book called Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends, written by a brother/sister trio. After perusing the commentary and reviews, I decided to order it.

When the book came in the mail, I ever so flamboyantly waved the book around in front of the kids telling them how thrilled I was that I had found the *magic* book that was FINALLY going to make them best friends! And how they'd have no need for any other friends from now on because they would be enjoying each other sooooo much!!! Their faces looked something like this:

Anyway, I sat them down and informed them that this fighting has got to stop. That they will never have another brother or sister like them. And that we cannot continue to treat the people that we love this way, that not only are they hurting each other, but they are hurting me, their dad, and most of all God; God gave us to each other for a reason, our family...as it is...is His gift to us, and how do they think God feels about how they are treating His gift?

We have been reading the Bible in the evenings and using a Family Study Bible. With the aid of that, I have been pulling out the readings and verses that deal with sibling rivalry and quite honestly have been rather amazed and impressed with their responses. If only those convictions lasted more than a day!

Well yesterday at lunch time, we sat at the table and I began to read from this book. It really is quite humorously written and these siblings are right on with their descriptions of sibling feelings, anger, and rivalry. When we finished the first chapter, the three of us held hands to say a prayer. Sam had been on my lap, but was getting quite restless so he climbed down and began to toddle off. When he saw the 3 of us hold hands and bow our heads, he ran back to the circle, grabbed Hope's and T.J.'s hands with each of his and stood between them to become part of our circle...he didn't want to be left out! He wanted to pray with us!

I have always said since Sam was born, that there was a reason God gave him to me when he did. The age gap between him and my other two is 10 and 7 years. His arrival changed the dynamics of our entire family. He has brought each member together in unexpected and surprising ways in the past year and half. He has truly been a blessing to our family. To see him standing there holding his older sister and brother's hands in prayer like that touched my heart...and as Hope said in her prayer, "Thank you, God...for God moments like Sam that help us to remember how much we should love each other."