"Bednight Snack"

I love being a mom. I learn so much from my kids - even though, I guess I'm supposed to be the one that's teaching. So many times, God reminds me that I am just like a child and He is the patient parent - always teaching me. Bella has this saying at night when she is hungry. Funny how she doesn't realize she's hungry until it's time for bed....Anyway, she asks me, "Mom, can I have a bed-night snack?" I don't know where she came up with that term. Somewhere along the way she heard someone say bed-time snack and midnight snack maybe and mixed the two. I love it. She just needs a little comfort food before she goes to sleep. I won't deny it, I like comfort food before bed too. Often it's because I just love to eat and a little mouthful of chocolate or something sweet just hits the spot and I can crawl in bed satisfied. Sometimes, though, it's because I'm starving. I have had one of those days where my hectic schedule allowed me time to get the kiddos or hubby something quick to eat but my own meal was skipped in order to accomplish something I thought was more important at the time, you know, vital stuff, like folding laundry or washing the mile-high stack of dishes, checking homework papers, paying bills, picking up toys for the 137th time... stuff like that. So by the time I drag my backside into bed and hunker down under the covers, my stomach is protesting...loudly. David will look at me and raise his eyebrows. "Was that your stomach?" Tiredly thinking back, I try to remember..."What did I eat today? Oh yeah, I think I skipped lunch. Or was it dinner? I really can't recall if I ate breakfast...hmmm did I eat cheerios yesterday?" Bella's words of wisdom float into my mind...I need a bednight snack. God usually speaks the clearest in those times when I've made foolish choices. There have been times that I've neglected to feast on His Word in order to do something I guess I thought was more important at the time... you know, vital stuff, like folding laundry, dishes, etc. etc....and I crawl into bed and I'm hungry. I haven't fed my soul and it's protesting...loudly. God is looking at me, I know, with eyebrows raised, asking, "was that your soul?" Tiredly I think back and remember...I need a bednight snack. It's not recommended to get your total spiritual or physical nutrition from small, snack-sized portions...obviously. If I only let Bella eat a bednight snack and she never got healthy, nourishing meals, she would never grow and mature and develop the way little girls should. If I only snack occasionally on God's Word, I will never grow spiritually either. Bednight snacks are great but regular, full-size, healthy servings are needed, not only to survive, but to thrive. BJL