You are in TIME OUT!

After having 5 kids I have the “Time Out” thing down. I have had one or two that have been dragged to time out mad as hornets. Then some went crying and exhausted into time out, and one that all I had to do was look at them in a certain way and they would say “I know, I’m going to time out.” But one thing was for sure they all needed to be there to take a breather, to calm down and pause. As I was driving over to the beach the other day I started giggling thinking about how I was putting myself in a time out. You know no one does that for us as grown ups when we are tired, worn-out and grumpy but “Go to your room, (or in this case to the beach) you are in TIME OUT!” was ringing loud in the car this day.

And I still fantasize about the way we put our babies down for a nap in their cribs, sometimes fussy for interrupting the play of the day, and that they can stay there until they wake and decided they want out. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for someone to stick us in a dark cool room in the middle of our busy day and say “Time for a nap Sweet Pea.” Then leave and not come get us until we cried out over the monitor….”MaMaMa” and raised our arms and said “Up!” It might be days……..

In Psalm 23 it says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He MAKES me lie down…..” It doesn’t say, “He asks me” or “He suggests”. No! It definitely says, He Makes Me. Hummm sounds a bit like a “Time Out” to me. Yes, it is and it is in this time out that he able to restore our souls and guide our paths. Isn’t it funny how we can go kicking and screaming, fussing and fighting just like our kids saying, “But I’m not tired! I still have things to do before you can put me in TIME OUT!!” It is when this girl gets grumpy, fussy or just plain over tired and I stomp my feet that I hear my Father’s voice loud and clear, “Sweet Girl you need a Time Out and that’s an order!”

Then when the “Time Out” is over and I rise from resting by quiet waters refreshed, I clearly see that goodness and love will follow me for the rest of the day. Boy am I blessed by dwelling in a house where my father knows to MAKE me lie down and have a “Time Out”. Now if I could only get my kids to thank me and appreciate their time outs too!