Some of you may know that once a long, long time ago I used to teach. Okay, I still teach but I no longer get paid for it. Anyway, whenever one of my students had a rough time and for whatever reason ended up in tears, I would often send them with a friend to go wash their face and get a drink of water. These simple acts seemed to reinvigorate the senses of what was right in the world and wash away the wrong (and often a faceful of snot... which was an added bonus). Everything was calmer and a bit brighter afterwards.
Yesterday was hard for me. Everything seemed to be going wrong. Something that we were relying on fell through just as I was gearing up for Christmas season. I couldn't find a babysitter. We decided to not spend money to go to a conference I'd been looking forward to. We decided to not participate in a gift exchange. Lots of littles...which in God's big picture make very little difference. But yesterday, I just couldn't get over any of it. I was sad, sad and I try really hard not to go there. But it is my sin nature to go there and not trust my Heavenly Father Who has a storehouse of His goodness for me. And I totally went there yesterday.
Today is a new day. Today, I metaphorically washed my face. (I say metaphorically because I have yet to step into the shower. Ahem.) Things look better. I am reminded again of my wonderful Father. My circumstances have not changed. My house shows the signs of a person who moped about all day yesterday. Laundry is piled everywhere. Toys are strewn about. The floors, oh, where do I begin with the floors? We still aren't going to the conference. We gave up on finding a sitter and asked a friend to come to our house in hopes that we'll be able to keep the kids busy with naps and movies while we talk. The thing we'd relied on has not magically reappeared. Smaller things have popped up in its stead and hopefully will keep us afloat for awhile. Our God is good and faithful and He holds us. He changes our hearts to rely on Him. He calls His children by name and lets us fall asleep in His strong arms.
He gives us goofy kids that make innocent mistakes on their spelling.
Or put cell phones down their pants. (Thank goodness for onesies!)
He lets us see the joy in the mess of the house... the life that is so vibrantly evident through the mess.
Today, I'm looking forward to Christmas. Not because of the gifts. Because of the Gift. We are listening to Christmas music and I am hoping to clean up the mess and start pulling out Christmas decorations. Because I need a visual reminder about what this season that we're entering is really about.
God making Himself available to us, mending the broken, washing our faces and giving us a drink of His Living Water.
Yesterday was hard for me. Everything seemed to be going wrong. Something that we were relying on fell through just as I was gearing up for Christmas season. I couldn't find a babysitter. We decided to not spend money to go to a conference I'd been looking forward to. We decided to not participate in a gift exchange. Lots of littles...which in God's big picture make very little difference. But yesterday, I just couldn't get over any of it. I was sad, sad and I try really hard not to go there. But it is my sin nature to go there and not trust my Heavenly Father Who has a storehouse of His goodness for me. And I totally went there yesterday.
Today is a new day. Today, I metaphorically washed my face. (I say metaphorically because I have yet to step into the shower. Ahem.) Things look better. I am reminded again of my wonderful Father. My circumstances have not changed. My house shows the signs of a person who moped about all day yesterday. Laundry is piled everywhere. Toys are strewn about. The floors, oh, where do I begin with the floors? We still aren't going to the conference. We gave up on finding a sitter and asked a friend to come to our house in hopes that we'll be able to keep the kids busy with naps and movies while we talk. The thing we'd relied on has not magically reappeared. Smaller things have popped up in its stead and hopefully will keep us afloat for awhile. Our God is good and faithful and He holds us. He changes our hearts to rely on Him. He calls His children by name and lets us fall asleep in His strong arms.
Today, I'm looking forward to Christmas. Not because of the gifts. Because of the Gift. We are listening to Christmas music and I am hoping to clean up the mess and start pulling out Christmas decorations. Because I need a visual reminder about what this season that we're entering is really about.
God making Himself available to us, mending the broken, washing our faces and giving us a drink of His Living Water.
5 comments:
I'm so glad you're feeling better today. I love you!
Glad that today is a better day. This time of year people start to get so stressed, myself included. I hate when you planned on something and it doesn't happen or it is needed in other places.
The picture of your living room is just a sign of a cozy family. I would rather see this than everything perfect. I love the homework. Made me laugh outloud. I hope things work out for you and your spirits are lifted.
What a great reminder. Thanks!
Oh, you hang in there, Hon....I'm praying for you! That spelling blooper really made my day! ;-)
With the modification of a few of the details, I could have written this post. Yesterday was crappy. Today is better, not because circumstances of changed, but because my focus has shifted back to where it needs to be. Thanks for the reminder! Will be praying that things get better for you all.
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