The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day that turned into a Blessing!

Yesterday was not a day that I would like to repeat. It seems that Fridays are a day that I spend making many phone calls. I started at 8:00 in the morning and realized at 3:30 when my husband got home that I still was on the phone! I didn't talk that entire time but several times within that time frame. Some calls were business, homeschool coop related and a couple for just catching up with my friends. My children were fighting more than usual and I was getting frustrated! I was being selfish. I knew I should address the problems that they were having and give them my undivided attention but I was choosing not to because I wanted to talk on the phone. I was thinking thoughts like, "Why can't they just get along and be quiet?" "Why do they have to fight whenever I try to do something for an extended period of time?" Why can't they just get along while they are making apple crisp" This was supposed to be a fun project for them to do together. What I was really saying was, "Leave me alone and let me do what I want to. Don't bother me."
My husband came home and I unloaded on him. He was very quiet.(I am sure this is exactly how he planned to start his weekend). I had sent the girls to their rooms for their behavior and had a little while to think about my own while explaining my day to Damon. After listening to myself and watching my husband contemplate what I was telling him, I decided that the kids definately needed to change their behavior but so did I. They were being selfish by fighting and wanting their own ways but I was being selfish by wanting my own way in not attending to my first responsibility. My children. Things had probably gotten out of hand because I was reprimanding but continuing to stay side tracked with my agenda. I was very convicted.
Our evening took a different turn. The girls and I talked and apologized for our wrongs. A friend called and had 4 free tickets to go to a special event. My husband agreed to watch my 2 year old and encouraged me to go with the girls and enjoy eachother. We did. I am glad that our day took a turn for the better and that God is at work in each of our hearts.
After our event, I put the kids to bed and was sifting through my e-mails. Autumn had a paper due for co-op that she had e-mailed to her teacher because our printer wasn't working. I had not read the final paper. It was titled, My Hero. I read the paper and tears welt up in my eyes. Her hero was me. She wrote about all of my good qualites and said I had a big heart and loved my family and friends with all of it. She said she wanted to be like me someday. Iwas so touched and convicted all at the same time. I was thankful that on a day that seemed so bad, my daughter still sees the good in her mom. I am thankful that God works in our lives even on terrible days and brings about his plan for our lives. I was convicted again that my actions and words are being watched every minute around this house by my children. I am their example. No one person has a bigger impact for the Lord on their children than their mom. It made me think about Christ dying on a cross for me and my sin and that My Father in heaven sees me through Christ's eyes because of his great sacrifice on my behalf. I got only a glimpse through my daughter's paper, her love for me despite my inadequacies, of God's great love for us despite our sin.