He told me, "Remember yesterday when I got the cart for you and you said, "What would I do without you?"-that made me feel really good and special."
I meant it. But, I did not think it mattered. Boy was I wrong!
We were in Chicago this week on Tuesday, visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art with my sister and her girls. Then, we went to a special lunch at LYFE (Love Your Food Everyday) Kitchen nearby (thankfully, they can accommodate all of our allergies!). Since we were so close, we fed the meter again and I took the boys to Water Tower Place. We went to Macy's first to look for a replacement gift for their dad; and, after they endured that, we went to...the Lego store! Not only did they get to see all of the latest and greatest Lego sets; but, they were also asked if they wanted to make a polar bear to take home (free Legos!) and then they were given the Lego magazine and a Lego keychain (all for free...we got to play and did not have to buy anything!).
Then, as we had planned, before visiting my sister at home (and to eat dinner and wait out traffic before hitting the road), we went to get some things we needed and can often only get from Whole Foods. We parked in the parking garage and were told we could grab a cart inside. Well, I never saw the carts and looked all over near the entrance and could not find any. Then, my son spotted them and pointed me in the right direction (right next to the escalator we had just taken down!). And, I said, in gratitude, "What would I do without you?". Unknowingly, I had just made his day.
He made my day when he told me about it.
The sad part is that he was reminded of that good feeling because I had been using my words in anger just a moment before, likely making him feel not so good. We had had a rough day with relationship building (disrespectfulness, disobedience, ingratitude) and homeschooling; and, in that moment, with my son's words to me, I realized I was not helping. I was making it worse. God was giving me a chance to be redeemed. He used my son. He often speaks to me through my children. When I am at the end of my rope, when I need Him most. Thank you, Lord.
