Book: Loving the Little Years

For a book so tiny it packs a lot into its pages.

I appreciated Jankovic's candor about life -- being honest that he life with quite a few littles is not always peachy.  Her kids have their moments.  However, it's her response to these moments that are encouraging, convicting, and laden with hope.

It's hard not to laugh and cry as I read this book about my own little ones.  What a sweet time the Lord has given us to enjoy the wonders of the world through their eyes.  However, at the same time we have been given the great task of shepherding their little souls and molding the most absorbent of minds. I want to be able to relish every second of the fun and the hard, the discipline and the learning -- that I, too, might be continually sanctified.

Just take a look at her table of contents and you can already begin to identify with life as a mom of littles:
    
     Welcome to my Circus
     The Rock Tumbler (one of my favorite chapters)
     Thanksters & Cranksters
     Watch Your Language


What I love is that this isn't a parenting philosophy book or a how to.  It is a glimpse into her family and how she responds to situations.  Because she is a woman who is following Jesus and creating a Christ-centered home you find how applicable her responses are for your own family.  You see the dealing with sin in both parents and children and that grace is the motivation behind the responses.  It's not a, "Crap, I feel like a horrible parent." feeling but, "I think I can handle certain situations better."

While this book is extremely short (my "reading" friends could finish it in a day -- it took me a couple) it does house gobs of godly wisdom.  It feels like this is someone that you could live next door to or that you would totally want to meet for a play date at the park.  She IS in the trenches with you.  I think this is a book that will just stay on my night stand and I will try to read it about every 6-8 months.  It's a good reminder on perspective with the little people that bless this house.

Here is an excerpt from the very last page of the book.  It made me cry when I read it.  I cried when I read to my Husband.  And I just started crying again;

Motherhood is hard work.  It is repetitive and often times menial.  Accept it.  Rejoice in it.  This is your toil.  Right here.  Those are their faces.  Enjoy them.  The days of your life are supposed to be full of things like this.  But joy is not giddy.  It is not an emotional rush-it is what happens when you accept your lot and rejoice in your toil.  So rejoice in your children.  Look them in the eyes and give thanks.  You will not even remember the work of all this planting when the harvest of joy overwhelms you.

If you are a mom of little ones, you should get this book.  If you know someone who is a mom of littles, you should gift this book to them.

I am not sure what else to say about that.  HA!