It’s late. Or some might say early. 

About 2 o’clock in the morning.

My 4 year old is up calling for me. He has gone “tee tee” in the bed. I get up (not super willingly) to go change sheets and calm one very upset little boy down and tell him it’s okay to have accidents sometimes…even though inside I’m like “seriously?!” 

I lay with him and put him back to bed. 

 YES! Finally sleepy time can come again. 

At least I thought so…

A few minutes later I hear his voice calling again with a few hits to the wall, “mommy!” 

“I need some water. You forgot to turn my fan back on. Would you lay with me?”

Am I ever going to get back to my bed and be able to sleep?

A few nights after this James, our 1 year old, wakes up crying. It’s not like him to wake up in the middle of the night anymore so I, once again, get out of bed and go check on him. No fever. No new diaper needed. Nothing to explain the outburst of crying except needing a little mommy cuddle time. 

I think to myself again…I’m so tired. Will I ever be able to sleep normal again?

The answer to that question that you all have asked yourselves with kids so many times, especially with newborns in the house, is probably NO.

I thought about this as I was rocking James. 

How is he already one? And Jake is in Pre-K…when did that happen?

Life goes by so fast. 

Even with those terrible first 3 months of sleepless nights with a new baby… how do they seem like such long days but then go by so fast?! 

When time flies by so quickly, where does it go? What did we do with it to make it count?Years from now, how many nights like this would I wish I could get back? Where they want me to kiss them. Tell them stories. Hold them tight while they sleep.When you think about it…these are precious hours that we won’t get back.

The late night hours I spend holding them…I want those hours to count for eternity

I felt like the Lord was saying to me, “Mallory, pray for them now while they are in your arms, so that years down the road when they are not, their lives will be covered in prayer.” 

Don’t wait until they are older and you are up late because you are worried, wondering where they are? Who are they with? What decisions are they making? 

Start now. Cover their lives in prayer.
Don’t get up with irritation but get up with preparation. Preparing for their future.

Praying for the men they will become.

Praying for the decisions they will make.

Praying they will know and follow Jesus.

Praying for the women they will one day marry and the ones they date until they get there.

Praying for them to stay pure.

Praying for them to be the leader and not the follower.

Praying for them find their worth not in this world but in Christ.

I’m convicted tonight ya’ll. Because when I get out of bed huffing and puffing, irritated that another night of my sleep is interrupted…

Why? This is my calling. 

Deuteronomy 6 says to pour Jesus into your children “when you lie down and when you get up.” So all the time, even when I think it’s ME time.

To love my sweet babies now and pray for them to become men of God later.

Discipling them and teaching them may happen in the day, but those late nights we are up with them crying, hungry, sick, scared…those late nights waiting for them to fall asleep are sweet moments we can have with Jesus praying over them. 

I want to be a momma that makes all of the time I’m given count…even “MY” nights. 

I am praying the Lord will help me with this. 

From the heart of one mom to another.