Drop It And Do It

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV)

My firstborn just completed her freshman year of college. She’s experienced dorm life, paying for textbooks, signing her own healthcare forms.

And this means I am officially the mom of a young adult — a season I’ve been dreaming of and somewhat dreading since childbirth.

She is delightful. She is beautiful. She is her own person.

But here’s the thing about the college years — or high school, or toddlerhood, or any age or stage of parenting. In each season our children need us. Perhaps in new and different ways as they grow. My beautiful girl no longer needs me to cut her grapes, but she needs my emotional presence on a whole new level now. And I wonder — am I giving it to her?

I look back at the last couple decades and much of it is a blur. Time flew. I stuck my head into writing books and building an online business, and my children’s elementary years were defined by which book release we were involved in at the moment. Now I’m reflecting on what really matters most. Yes, it’s important for our children to see us doing the work God called us to do. But it’s also important to lift them above the to-do list and capture these fleeting moments — to be fully alive in the scenery of their growing-up years.

I have always believed my greatest calling besides accepting Jesus has been my family life. My children have only one mom. My husband has only one wife. And I want to be present for them while I have the chance.

So I’ve developed a new watchword for parenting: Drop it and do it.

Recently, my college girl walked in the door after work and started rummaging through the cupboard for a snack. The next step in her routine would be holing up in her bedroom to decompress. So I figured I could sneak in an extra hour of work before dinner.

But then my daughter surprised me.

“Mom, do you have anything you have to do right now?”

“No, nothing I absolutely have to do.” Curiosity kept me from divulging my plan to keep working. “Why do you ask?”

Her eyes crinkled with mischief. “Soda Bar??”

Our favorite. Dirty soda drive-through with the windows rolled down, jamming out to Forrest Frank on Spotify.

This little outing was nowhere near my mental itinerary. Deadlines threatened to box me in. But her spontaneous invitation poked a crack through my calendar, and I let the joy flood out. We hopped in the car and sucked down two Dr. McDreamy sodas like they were happiness itself.

As our kids grow and gain independence, it can become very easy for a mother to enjoy the freedom so much that we slip into the habit of separate living. The kids do their thing and Mom does her thing. But then how many hours slide by in which we aren’t connecting — but could be?

Drop it and do it doesn’t mean neglecting responsibilities. But it does mean stopping to assess whether those responsibilities are truly more important than our family in that moment. Can my agenda be rearranged to capture those vital hours — to look my kids in the eyes and really know them?

Often the answer is yes. And “drop it and do it” is just a reminder to allow the yes. To not let busyness reign by default.

I didn’t realize just how much my children would still need me — and want me — once they hit high school and beyond. And I want to finish their “mom and me” journey well, with God’s grace.

So…will you consider making my watchword your watchword, too?

Drop it and do it.

As a result, I pray we will build disciples who know they are loved and surrounded as they finish one race and begin another. That’s my hope. That’s my heart. And it’s God’s heart, too.

Reflect

• Read Luke 10:38-42. Martha was busy with good things — and still missed the better thing. Where in your own life might busyness be crowding out connection?

Apply

• The next time someone you love asks for your attention today — a child, a spouse, a friend — pause before defaulting to your to-do list. Ask yourself: can this wait? If the answer is yes, drop it and do it. Say yes to the moment in front of you. Those moments are building a legacy that lasts far longer than your inbox.