MAKE time to play.

No Time to Play

My precious boy with the golden hair
Came up one day beside my chair
And fell upon his bended knee
And said, “Oh, Mommy, please play with me!”
I said, “Not now, go on and play;
I’ve got so much to do today.”
He smiled through tears in eyes so blue
When I said, “We’ll play when I get through.”
But the chores lasted all through the day
And I never did find time to play.
When supper was over and dishes done,
I was much too tired for my little son.
I tucked him in and kissed his cheek
And watched my angel fall asleep.
As I tossed and turned upon my bed,
Those words kept ringing in my head,
“Not now, son, go on and play,
I’ve got so much to do today.”
I fell asleep and in a minute’s span,
My little boy is a full-grown man.
No toys are there to clutter the floor;
No dirty fingerprints on the door;
No snacks to fix; no tears to dry;
The rooms just echo my lonely sigh.
And now I’ve got the time to play;
But my precious boy is gone away.
I awoke myself with a pitiful scream
And realized it was just a dream
For across the room in his little bed,
Lay my curly-haired boy, the sleepy-head.
My work will wait ‘til another day
For now I must find some time to play.

By Dianna (Mrs. Joe) Neal

I struggle daily to find balance between what I need to do and what can wait. I usually make promises to myself and my kids, work really hard at changing myself, fumble around for a week or two before it hits: Only God can change me! Then I do what I should have done in first place - pray. I tell the Lord my struggles, apologize for my shortcomings (including trying to "go it alone"), and ask for His forgiveness. Then I ask Him to help me change. It may take days or it may take weeks - each time I mess up, I ask the Lord again to forgive me and I thank Him. I am not perfect, nor does He expect me to be. He just asks that I recognize my problems and my need for Him! I am so thankful I don't have to go it alone.