A Pause Button

We have three (soon four) children in our home - a seven year-old daughter, five year-old son, and a - soon to be - three year-old son. Perhaps I am partial, but I do believe they are the most beautiful (or handsome), the smartest, the funniest, and the greatest children in the entire world. It is a great joy to watch them growing and becoming all that God has created them to be.

Last week my wife and I were talking about how much they have grown this past year and just how quickly they seem to be growing up. Then I asked my wife a very hypothetical question; "If you could stop them from growing up, at what age would you do so?"

And, although this was a very hypothetical question and - as far as I know - not an option yet, it was a very intriguing thought. See, if you stop a child's growth too early you have to deal with diaper changes, highchairs, and car eats for the rest of your life. If you stop a child's growth in their childhood, you deal with their attitude and "sass" forever. But if you wait until their teenage years you have the attitude and independence to deal with.

Perhaps a stop button isn't what we want or need - but wouldn't a pause button be nice? Just to pause everything in their life and cherish it for a bit longer? Wouldn't it be nice to pause and spend a little more time with you three-year-old child? Wouldn't it be wonderful to pause their growth and spend more time with your children while they still "need" you - while they still want to be with you?

Our children's lives aren't the only thing though. Wouldn't it be nice to have a pause button on life in general? To pause everything and have a bit more time before deadlines and obligations? Wouldn't it be nice to pause and spend more time on the important moments in life? Wouldn't it be wonderful to pause and have more time?

This morning we wrapped up a series - "Be Still" - in our church. In this series we, as a church, have been encouraged to stop and spend more time with God, simply being still in His presence. As we are still in His presence we come to realize that we are working on His time.