My God Stop Moment

There’s something called a “God Stop moment”.  It’s when something happens that you KNOW is a God thing.  If you’re not paying attention, you’ll think you were just lucky or it was a coincidence.  Pay attention, and you’ll come to realize these moments for what they really are – GOD.

Here’s my God Stop moment –

Yuri is very maternal and nurturing, and she has loved Baby A since the first day she came to us.  

She plays with her and entertains her, and never loses patience.   

First, let me stress how much Yuri LOVES her iPod.  It’s her favorite possession in the whole world.  Really.  Second, let me stress how much Baby A likes to play the game “let me throw my toy and you get it for me”.   

Friday evening, on the way to pick up Karlie, Yuri was trying to make Baby A (whose Indian name would be Baby Who Hates To Ride in Car Seat) happy so she let Baby A hold her iPod.  Things seem to be fine until I glance over my shoulder and see Yuri with huge crocodile tears streaming down her face.  I look in the rearview mirror and see that Gigi’s eyes are as big as half dollars and she has that “oh, crap… someone’s in trouble and I hope it’s not me” look on her face. 

ME:                         What’s wrong????
YURI:                     Theeee babyyyy threwwww myyyy iPodddd outttt theeee windowwwwwwwww……wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Great.  I have no idea how long ago this happened… 2 seconds ago? 2 miles ago?  When I got to pick up Karlie, I checked diaper bag, the car seat and between the seat and door just to make sure she really did throw it out and it was nowhere to be found.  I got Karlie and we started retracing our route (approximately 6 miles), knowing fully well that it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.  Gigi, with her raspy little voice, says “I know right where it is. It’s over by where the cows are”.  Well, that might be good information if it weren’t for the fact that there are cows in EVERY pasture between us and home. 

We did look in the ditches and on the road, but that iPod was gone.  I promised Yuri I would get her another one as soon as I could get to town this week.  She cried and cried and cried.  And she asked me at least 50 times how much longer before I was going to town. 

We weren't expecting photographs. She looks like she's doing a remake of the movie "Nell"

The next day, I took the car seat out to wash it, and checked again just to be sure, but there was no iPod.  That evening, we were headed to a swimming party and Yuri asked me YET again when I was going to town.  I asked her if she was still mad at Baby A.   She leaned over, patted the baby on the hand, and said, “It’s okay, baby, I forgive you”.  Sweetness. 

At the swim party, it started to sprinkle rain, so I quickly gathered our stuff.  When I picked up the baby and her car seat, something fell at my feet.  Before I could look down to see what it was, I heard Gigi say, “Mommy!! I found Yuri’s iPod!!!”

There it was.  What in the world??  There was no way that iPod was in the baby’s seat the whole time.  No way!  We ran to the car and when we got there, I realized that I really needed to share with the girls what I knew had happened.  I said, “Yuri, you know what?  I think God found your iPod because he was happy you forgave Baby A.”  I know she didn’t really understand – she was just happy to have her beloved iPod back.  One day when she’s older, I want to remind her of this story and maybe she’ll have that same “God Stop moment” that I did. 

Gigi, on the other hand, was a little reluctant to give God ALL the glory.  As we’re driving away, I hear Gigi say, “Yep, Yuri… Me and Jesus… Me and Jesus found your iPod”. 

That smile says it all