In ordinary moments with children
A mother's warm daily meditations on God

A warm hand-drawn parenting meditation on Instagram has garnered much sympathy.
A God-like parenting essay by author Mistaker (@misstaker)

“I have written many articles, but there is only one thing I want to say.
“God is with us even in our smallest moments and speaks to us through small things.” (From the prologue) “I Think of God When I See You” is a parenting meditation essay written by a mother who records her experience of discovering God in ordinary moments with her child.
Through warm words and pictures, she expressed the stories of God she encountered in moments of difficulty due to infertility, moments when she reached her limits due to the hardships of child-rearing, and moments when she was moved by watching her child grow.
The author says that although this book was written while raising a child, it is suitable for anyone to read.
Because we are all precious children of God.
This book always ends with a story about God, whether you're thinking about coffee, watching your child crawl, or being startled by something small.
Anyone who wishes to walk with God even in the midst of a busy and hectic daily life will be able to think about God often while reading this book.
This book will also offer deep empathy and warm comfort to mothers who do not have the leisure to sit quietly and meditate on the Bible, or the conditions to go to church and worship with peace of mind.
I hope this book can be a small comfort to mothers who, even when they feel like they are about to collapse from the hardships of parenting, want to fall in that direction toward God, and to mothers who, watching their children grow day by day, hope to grow in God's love themselves.

I like to draw pictures of Jesus and hang them up all over the house.
I believe that even though I usually believe that the Lord is always with me, when a problem arises, I quickly forget everything and suffer alone.
This is a method I came up with because I wanted to make sure I never forget his company.
But now I think it might be okay if this method isn't used.
When I think about the baby inside me all day long, even though I can't see it, I think of the Lord who always holds me in His arms, even though I can't see Him.
This tiny baby lets us see the great one.
As I was eating while meditating like this, I felt full even though I had skipped breakfast and was only eating a bowl of porridge.
--- From "It Feels Like I'm Alone"

I kept hearing her crying all day long, and eventually I became depressed.
But on the last day of December, finally, our Inaga smiled like a gift.
He looked straight into my eyes and smiled brightly whenever someone made him laugh. Wow! It really was true that when you're tired, all your hard work goes away when your baby smiles at you!
So I thought, no matter how hard it is, I should look up at the sky and smile brightly at least once.
God must be very worried raising me, who forgets everything He has done for me and cries and makes a fuss when I am even a little tired.
--- From "God Must Have Suffered Too"

I follow her like that and watch her closely, and when she goes to a place she shouldn't go, like where there's something dangerous or dirty, I stop her by saying, "No!!!"
They say that when you become a parent, you come to know God the Father's heart a little more, and I guess that's true.
As I followed and helped my daughter, I thought of the Lord who was helping me from behind.
Ah! I wish the Lord would stop me every time.
If I go down a path that I don't know well and just because it looks good to me, I would appreciate it if you would stop me by saying, "No!!!"
--- From "I don't know, but God knows"

Later, when Inaga becomes good at speaking, she might ask about the pictures.
“Why am I alone?” Then, you should answer like this.
“Hey, it’s because you can’t see it. Your mom, who took the picture, is with you too~”
Maybe in the distant future, when Ina feels lonely, she might ask again.
“Why am I alone?” Then, I plan to answer like this.
“Hey, you can’t see it, right? God, who has guided you until now, is with you too~”
--- From "You Just Can't See"

Our baby has seen something.
You copy your mom really well.
But that's it.
I've seen it too.
I also saw in the Bible that Jesus showed us an example of how to live.
Even if I try my best my whole life, I will never be able to imitate Jesus's heel, but I still want to try my best to follow in his footsteps like Ina.
--- From "Following the Lord"

It goes without saying, but nothing in this world can replace our daughter Ina.
Even if you gave me everything I've ever wanted in life, I wouldn't trade it for this.
It's not worth worrying about.
But God gave His only Son to save us? Oh, I can't understand, I can't understand.
After becoming a parent, I thought I understood God the Father's love a little more.
I was convinced that parenting helped me understand God's heart better.
But this is an exception.
I cannot understand the love that He had for us, to the point of giving up His own Son.
Because it was written like that in the Bible, I used to just think that was how it was.
But now that I have a child of my own, I realize that this is a love that I cannot understand no matter how hard I try.
That love is too big for me to fathom.
--- From "The Ridiculous Lord's Love"

A child knows that adults can do things that he or she shouldn't do.
I also know very well that it is safe to hug my mom when I am scared.
Ina is like me, she is a bird with a big heart and gets startled by even the smallest noise.
When I hear the apartment announcement or the delivery man knocking on the front door, I startle him and jump, but my eyes search for me and he burrows into my arms.
Then he looks at me and smiles faintly.

Looking at this daughter, I thought.
‘I should know what he knows…’ I should know that there is nothing I can do, but there is nothing that God cannot do.
We must also know that no matter what fearful moment we may have, if we hold Him in our arms, He will give us peace.
I need to know what this baby knows too.

--- From "Things Even Ae Knows"