Hard lessons

One of my daughter's friends died this weekend. He was only 11 years old. It was such a tragedy, and we are in the throes of grief. We pray for this precious family that will have to bury their son, and we pray for his young friends that have to experience tangible loss at such a tender age.  Lord, only You can provide comfort.

My husband and I have hugged our kids more tightly this weekend. We've overlooked the little things that used to irritate us such as forgetting to put the cap on the toothpaste. We've spent time listening to our kids, taking walks with them, playing board games, and just being with them. We've prayed together, cried together, and, even in the midst of the grief, we've laughed together. Even though the house still need to be packed up, and our moving "to do" list is huge, we are putting this aside for the time being. Our priorities have suddenly and irrevocably shifted. A Bible verse that I've known for ages  has spoken to me in a new way:

We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 
2 Corinthians 4:18

Lord, help this lesson stick! I want to care more about the cleanliness of my daughters' souls than the cleanliness of their rooms. I want to give more hugs than reprimands. I want to take time to really listen to them when they come to me, rather than keep half my brain focused on the tasks I need to accomplish that day. Life is so precious, and can't be taken for granted. Lord, help me remember to always say "I love you" before they walk out the door.