Sunday Morning Mess

My 8 year old daughter, Mae, fell apart today. 

 She could not get her shoes laced through...

and was waiting for someone to help her. 

 The house was in a flurry...

Trying to get four girls out the door early on Sunday morning,

My four girls, out the door...is quite the circus. 

It does not happen easily. 

Some one always seems to become a victim.

At any rate, my Mae fell apart. 

No one was tending to her quick enough,

In her fragile emotional state,

she quite literally fell apart...

Clothes came off...

body flailing...

She ended up in a wet, sloppy pile on her bed.

Sure the world was going to come to an end.

What to do? 

Three other girls wanting to get to church...

What do we do?

Wait for her to get it together...

or send the rest onward...

and deal with the consequences?

Jeff let her know her options...

and in the end he left..

 without her.

It broke her heart.

It broke his heart.

As I sat with Mae later,

arms wrapped around her,

her fuzzy, long hair tickling my nose,

she poured out her grieving broken heart. 

We wept over her fears of never being safe,

never being completely loved and cherished.

God came to her in her anguish. 

Her anguish,

that we have all felt before,

unloved,

 unsafe,

that deep, dark hole we cannot ever fill...

Mae got a chance to see that reality,

as an 8 yr old girl...

and the amazing treasure of an inheritance in Christ. 

The only place to ever feel complete,

and safe,

and cherished,

is that priceless gift of salvation. 

She understands the gospel,

but now she is grasping the significance of how it plays out in our everyday life.   

What a joy, to be there with her in the midst of it..

that bittersweet reality of living out this earthly life.

Today Mae needed to become a mess first,

 for God to start the process of healing her heart.

And so did Jeff.

Jeff left completely wounded...and afraid. 

 Leaving his girl behind, and worried that he had caused her such pain. 

 Jeff is a fixer,

he cannot handle seeing any of his girls unhappy....

it is so hard for him to hand out a consequence

and then see it through. 

He wanted her to bounce back out of her mood

and go to church,

crisis averted,

instead of allowing her to fall to pieces. 

And I think he kind of fell to pieces,

as he watched her head that way. 

 But he got the rest of the yahoos into the car and left....

....and thank God he did.

Jeff came home, hours later, a changed man. 

He was quiet. 

Calm. 

A bit emotional. 

 He called the girls to come sit with me. 

He had something he needed to say.

He talked with us about how God had come to him during church.

How God had challenged his heart. 

Had called him to serve his family. 

Had convicted him to forgive,

to walk away from that anger,

and embrace the life God had given him.

He admitted how he himself was struggling to forgive, 

struggling to move beyond his hurt and confusion.

He confessed that he was not serving his own family...

and that God was calling him to do just that. 

 Serve. His. Family. 

The whole messy lot of us.

God is so good.

  Life is such a mess, and God is so good. 

In the middle of the mess, God was there. 

And I really believe the only way we could have ever experienced God,

was to be in the middle of the mess. 

If Mae had slipped on her shoes,

and jumped into the car...

none of this would have happened today. 

The real pain and struggle would still be there,

under the surface,

being avoided or ignored....

Embracing the mess means trusting the Lord. 

Do you know what I mean? 

We try to run away from the mess. 

Hide from it. 

Or clean it up ourselves and fix it. 

 Instead of allowing God to do the work He intends to do...

 in the midst of the mess. 

Enough

It's been a long, hard day, and my patience has worn thin.

I got nothing left.

Nothing.

The yahoos are antsy and rubbing me wrong.

So I issue a decree:

Clean up or no movie night.

I give each a specific job and set the timer.

Off they go.

Kiki finishes in record time. 

I pat her head and toss her into the crib.

I wait.

It is very quiet.

Too quiet.

I walk towards the bedroom.

As the door opens I gasp.

Stuff. 

 Everywhere.

I mean

E v e r y w h e r e.

My lips tremble as the angry words bubble up in my throat.

The green pillow is the final straw.

It is dangling from the curtain rod

Taunting me from above.

I gurgle as I imagine the destruction if it actually slipped from it precarious position.

The shelf with the cds.

The precious moments trinket celebrating Mae's birth.

The sweet jewelry box full of treasure.

Li catches my look, and knows to hide underneath the covers.

I hold my breath.

God help me.  Please God help me.

I am too tired.

Way. too. tired.

Li peeks out.  She misunderstands the silence.  She unknowingly tippie-toes right over the cliff.

"Did you make the popcorn yet?"

What?  Popcorn?  Are you kidding me?

P o p c o r n?

My head spins a full 360 as the rot gushes out of my mouth.

Why do I say this stuff?

What good does it do?

Why do I fall back into it over and over and over again?

I give myself a time out.

The whispers start. 

 I am useless.

I am not good for them.

I am no good for Jeff.

They should all be with someone else.

Someone with a healthy body.

Someone more patient.

Someone more tolerant.

Someone with more energy.

Someone with fingers that can cut up veggies.

And stronger arms that can scrub the sink.

Someone who can clean the house.

or someone who does not get grumpy if the house is a mess.

It has been a long time since I have heard these whispers.

But they are there.

They are convincing.

I know I need help.

Somehow I manage to text a dear friend.

Someone I trust.

Someone I can be honest with about how I feel, and I know she will not judge me.

I know she will pray for me.

I know she will be honest with me.

I type it out.

Bare my soul.

I am afraid to hit send.

But I know I need help.

Off it goes.

Mae is standing next to me

She puts her hand on my shoulder and asks me to check her work.

Her hand on my shoulder.

Mae had her hand on my shoulder.

A few weeks back Jeff and I were having a lively discussion about the eldest yahoo.

She can really get under my skin.

When we need to address a certain behavior, she will inevitably do or say something that sets me off.

If Jeff sees me floundering, he will try to signal me to back away.

He will flail his arms.  Tap a table.

Stomp a foot.

He looks a bit like a traffic cop.

Or a dog trainer trying to get an unruly pup to obey.

Sit Ubu, sit.

Good dog.

It does not work.

I end up ticked off at him, too.

I asked him to stop with the flag signals and just come alongside me and put his hand on my shoulder.

He scoffed at me.

Now I am sure no one would be compelled to come any where near me when I am shooting off my mouth.

I imagine that would be the last thing Jeff would want to do.

But I asked him to give it a try.

Stand next to me, with your hand on my shoulder.

It helps me feel like you are coming alongside me.

To help me along.  Find my way.  Get on the right path.

Ya know, it works?

I melt.

I melt at his touch.

I feel safe.  Like I am no longer in this alone.

Not only did it help me.

It helped Jeff.

And it helped Mac.

When Jeff stands next to me, with his hand on my shoulder, he is supporting me.

Like we are a team.

Mac needed to see that.

She needed to see her parents working together.

Anyway, back to Mae, standing next to me.

I am beyond help, just sent that text, and Mae is next to me.

Her hand on my shoulder.

Mom, come check my work.

I melt at her touch, too.

The room is spinning.

Please come, come check my work.

I shuffle down the hall, and into the room.

Everything is in it's place.

Except a package.

It's wrapped in a baby blanket.

There is a note attached.

"Sometimes you make me happy and other times you don't so read through it and try to be more patient."

Tears.

I love my Mae.

I love my Lord.

I love how He works.

How He works through her.

To work on me.

I unwrap the blanket.

This is what I find.

More tears.

This is my old hymnal.

From college.

Suddenly the phone rings.  It is Jeff.  He is calling from far away.

How are you sweetie?  What's going on?

I cannot speak. I hug the hymnal.  I am overwhelmed by God's presence.

Overwhelmed at His care for me.

Astonished at His timing.

Mae is breathing next to me.  She leans in to hear.

Her fragrant curls calm my soul. 

Are you ok?

How did he know?  I melt at Jeff's voice.

So sweet.  So reassuring.

I am not alone.

Yes, I say. I am ok.

 But he knows better.

Do you want to talk about it?

No, not now.  Not right now.

It's all too much.

I cannot speak.

Later?

Yes, later.

Long before I knew Jeff.

There were lonely nights I would sit at our organ

and peck out the songs I loved with my goofy fingers.

I used to sing as loud as I could.

The words would soothe me.

I did not know what the future held for me back then.

I honestly thought I would be gone by the age of thirty.

I thought my body would just be done.

It would give up.

And God would take me home.

Now, I never dreamed I would have the life I have.

No. Way.

But that is a different story.  For a different time.

Back to Mae.

I turn the hymnal carefully and rub the cover.

Just the feel of it softens the hurt.

I finger through the pages and show it to Mae.

Pick one, I say.

We will learn it together.

She sits at the piano and starts to finger the keys.

A few tries and she's got it.

I peck away at the harmony and she is delighted.

And we sing...

Her eight year old voice just reaching the notes

My middle aged alto rasping along

My faith has found a resting place

Not in device nor creed.

I trust the ever living God

His wounds for me shall plead.

I need no other argument

I need no other plea

It is enough that Jesus died

And that He died for me.

Mae's voice strengthens as she comprehends the words...

Enough for me that Jesus saves

This ends my fear and doubt

A sinful soul I come to Him

He'll never cast me out...

My heart is leaning on the Word

The written word of God

Salvation by my saviors name

Salvation through His blood.

Mae is swaying by now, bound together with the music

 and her Lord...

My great Physician heals the sick,

The lost He came to save,

For me His precious blood He gave,

For me His life He gave...

I need no other argument

I need no other plea,

It is enough that Jesus died,

and that He died for me.

I look at her and see...

Pure joy.

There is no doubt in my mind now.

No whispering voices any more.

Just the pure powerful word of God

and the sweet song of Mae.

It is enough.

Spring Sensory Giveaway!

Some of you know that one of our yahoos has been diagnosed with a sensory disorder.  Li is our four year old.  She is full of life and teaching us so much.  She is the most energetic kid I have ever met.

She is friendly and outgoing and inventive.  She indulges in all of her senses, from smelling every bottle of shampoo on the drugstore shelf to slowly rubbing lotion up and down, and up and down, and up and down her legs!  She will take enormous amounts of time washing her hands um, arms after playing outside because those bubbles are just too much fun to just wash her hands and rinse them straight down the drain.

Li has a hard time with her senses, too.  She cannot handle bright light.  She frets if she hears a repetitive noise and cannot make it stop.  She has a hard time chewing and swallowing broccoli.  She would rather tuck that green veggie into her cheeks like a chipmunk instead of actually eating it.  She ends up with broccoli juice running down her shirt!  She can be incredibly un-huggable...and yet very huggable at the same time!
Li is not all that excited about wearing jeans.  She spends most of her time in leggings and really cute skirts.
Which is fine with me, because she looks, well, really cute!

Yep, our Li makes life really interesting and really fun. 
Understanding her sensory disorder helps us understand her.

It is always good to connect with others that are struggling with the same issues.  So we have joined a
 SPD blogger network.

Networking is always a good thing, right?

When I was rummaging through my reading this morning, I found that SPD  and Soft Clothing were having a giveaway! 

Check this out:

From the Soft Clothing website:

Soft Clothing for All Children and The SPD Blogger Network are co-sponsoring an incredible Sensory Friendly Spring Giveaway!  2 Grand Prizes will be given (one for boys, one for girls), and will each include the following sensory friendly items, which focus on fine motor development, dramatic play skills, sensory integration, creative expression, auditory exploration, and of course, fun!  Whatever holiday or season your family celebrates, there is something in this stocking for someone you love!

Your Sensory Prizes!

 Puffy Easter Basket (Chick) Pottery Barn Kids (boys prize)

Puffy Easter Basket (Rabbit) from Pottery Barn Kids (girls prize)

"I'll Tell You Why I Can't Wear Those Clothes," by Noreen O'Sullivan

Soft Seamless Sock 2-pack

Vestibular Wedge

Sensory Body Sock

Alex Toys Monster Bubbles

Alex Toys Sack Racing: Frog and Monkey 

Squiglet Fidget Bracelets 

One complete Springy Soft look for girls OR

One complete Springy Soft look for boys

 

 

Go check it out! 

 

 

I am hoping to share more about our adventure with Li here on our blog.  If you have a child with sensory disorder, please leave a comment!  I would love to hear your stories! 

The story of Li...

Lili is yahoo number three. She came to us as a 6 day old baby. She was scheduled to stay just two months while her birthmama tried to get her life in order. Li was the hardest baby we have EVER cared for....and we have cared for quite a few. This kid would SCREAM the whole time she was awake. Constantly. Nothing would stop her...until she fell asleep...exahusted. Honestly...there were many, many days we looked forward to her heading back to birthmama. Sometimes we felt as though we had been taken hostage by this kid. There were days the girls and I would huddle in a corner of the house and pray. 

But she did not leave. Her birthmama could not care for her, and asked us to become her guardians. We said we would.  But it was a difficult decision to make.  We wanted to do what we could to love this little thing, and we wanted to honor God in how we lived our life.  We knew that if she had come to us biologically, we would not be wondering if we should "keep" her.  So she stayed.  And we prayed, trusting the Lord would provide the capacity and the wisdom to love her in the ways she needed to be loved. 

You see, LiLi has sensory disorder. She would scream in a desperate attempt to cope with her senses. She would scream at a truck passing by, scream if someone tried to tickle her arm in a friendly gesture...scream at toilet flushing in the church restroom, and scream at the friendly YMCA nursery worker who was merely trying to help her feel more at home.

We did not understand her at all.  Finally, when she was about 2 years old, we found help through a therapist who worked with her, and with us, week after week, helping her learn to cope with "life."  Li learned how to manage the things that frightened her, and by the end of the year she was amazed by the trucks, giggled at the toilets, and looked forward to hanging out with the Y nursery workers.  And we learned that a bear hug was much more effective.

After working with the therapist for a year, we decided to try preschool.  It was a rough start, but slowly Li began to feel safe.  She started making friends.  A daily schedule helped Li.  Occasionally there a transistion she could not manage.  When she hit a wall, her teachers knew how she would react, and learned how to usurp "the scream!" 

Li has come a long way.  We have learned what she needs to help her cope.  LiLi needs to move...a lot!  We have enrolled her in swim class and gymnastics.  When she is not in gymnastics, she is practicing all of her moves.  Constantly.

We have her scheduled to do something everyday.  If she has a day off, we have to take her somewhere to keep moving.  If we are stuck at home she is sent outdoors unless the weather is impossible.  Some days I make her run steps, do jumping jacks, or forward rolls all the way down the hall.  If she starts to struggle, Jeff grabs her legs and makes her walk on her hands.  He may throw her on the coach a half a dozen times.  We will load up the laundry basket with her baby sister and a pile of toys and have her push it all over the house....just to keep those senses under control.

Last night Jeff and I were a little overwhelmed by Li.  She wanted bedtime to go a certain way, the way it usually goes, and it was not.  She had discovered the plan while Jeff was discussing it with the other yahoo involved.  Her big sister was not going to bed at the same time, and she was not happy.  She was in her room, doing her crazy dance, trying not to scream. 

Her scream, at this time of night, is very, very, very hard to take.  We were all tired.  We all wanted to curl up in our beds, and enjoy our bedtime rituals.  So when LiLi did scream, we all wanted to join in.  And quite frankly, sometimes we do!

Last night both of us grown ups could have gone down that path.  Oh...I so wanted to jump up and start hollering at them all.  I wanted to hop all over the floor and throw a temper tantrum.  And so did Jeff. 

But God grabbed a hold of our hearts.
He whispered to us...

Look at your Li.  Look at her through MY eyes.
I made her.  I created her...just for you.  I created her just to help you see...

Li experiences life, in a way, perhaps, we all should. 

Li experiences life...fully.

Every inch of her being experiences life....fully.

While we are sleepwalking through the day...
Li chooses to DANCE!

Our little LiLi, the kid who sucked the life right out of us....
 is one who now teaches us how to LIVE.

Reflections of 2010: Part 1

I have been thinking a lot about this past year.  2010.  It just seems like A LOT happened in 2010.  A LOT of hard things, and a few wonderful things.  I guess I am trying to make sense out it all. And these things...these hard things and wonderful things all seem to be connected somehow.  I think.  I am asking the Lord to show us what He is up to in all of this.  I guess I am kind of thinking out loud, and bringing you along for the ride.  If you dare.  So here we go.

Yahoo Number Three (LiLi)...came to us from an organization called Safe Families.  At some point I'll share with you more about this amazing kid and all the Lord has taught us through her life.  Quite frankly, she has been a hand full, and a year into her life we thought we may had reached our kid limit.  Actually, Jeff was done, and I was fretting about it.  I do not ever feel like I am done.  But in the summer of 2009, we felt the Lord calling us to trust Him in all things, started working with Safe Families once more.  We once again opened our home to these little ones who need a safe place to stay for a bit.  And I was in awe of my husband.  Opening up our home again was, for him, was a huge leap of faith.  He was trusting the Lord would provide us with everything we would need, to care for the yahoos we had, and the yahoos who may come for a visit!

Last March we were asked to care for a 9 month old girl for a few weeks.  After a few months went by, it became apparent that birth mom would not be able to care for her, and by July of 2010, we were being asked to become guardians of another little sweetheart. Jeff, who had been saying all along he would NOT add a forth permanent child to our family, was befuddled. We were in over our heads with yahoo number three.  How in the world could we manage this?

But God made it clear that this little girl needed a family.  Birth mom even went through the heartache of seeking extended family for help.  It became clear there was no one.  She wanted us to be the guardians. She asked us to keep her.   Jeff, ever my hero, decided that walking in obedience to God's word....loving those in need and taking care of those who cannot care for themselves, was what he should do, even though he felt as though he did not want to do it. He walked in faith, in obedience, even though it was difficult, and not at all what he really wanted to do.  Complete and total obedience.  Sheer faith.  Doing what he was asked to do only because it was the right thing to do.

You see, before yahoo number four came along, we were struggling with patience. Jeff and I were really struggling with how we were responding to the three yahoos we had been blessed with and the craziness that is our household. We were raising our voices and just loosing patience much too quickly.  It started affecting the kids.  THEY were screaming and shouting, too.  Not good, right?  Jeff and I would even say to each other..."We can't live this way.  This isn't right."

Now, Jeff is one of those laid back kind of guys who just kind of reacts to life as it happens. He is a pretty willing guy.  If you have something that needs to be done, he will probably do it for you. But he has not been someone who purposefully and actively looks for ways to serve or lead. He does not like to make decisions.  He just serves as he goes...know what I mean?

Do you have a hubby like this? 

Laid back.  Easy going.  Funny.  Adorable.  Indecisive.  And honestly...kind of hard to....follow.. 

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE so much him.  He is open hearted and willing.  He is always helping someone, somehow.  It's just...he helps in a one-day-at-a-time kind of way.  And the days just seems to race by.  It's not really like the blind leading the blind.  It's more like an aimless happy helpful wandering goose leading a gaggle of goofy gossipy geese.

Funny how FOUR little yahoos can shake up that mentality a bit. Adding that fourth yahoo put us in crises mode.  The decibel levels hit an all time high.  Our level headed preteen suddenly became a hormonal mess.  Yahoo number two became an vicious victim.  LiLi learned how to use words as a weapon.  And Kiki, the new addition, discovered the fine art of whining.  I have to say, she is our most "pathetic" yahoo.

What in the world were we going to do?  There was no way to ignore the situation anymore.  Just "responding" to every incident was NOT enough.  It was ineffective.  We hit meltdown.  I remember sitting in the car, listening to all the girls bicker.  Jeff lost his cool. I started to sob.  He pulled over.  I remember trembling, wondering if I should actually say what I thought.  The words puddled out of my mouth..."I do not want this anymore.  No more, God.  No more."  The girls were stunned.  Total silence.

Something HAD to change.  Jeff grabbed my hand and started to pray for us...all of us...that God would help us walk in love and kindness.  That He would change us, change each one of us, into selfless loving lights in this dark world.  It was a start.

I started praying more fervently for Jeff.  I started begging God to help me know how to help Jeff.  I pulled out my copy of  "The Power of a Praying Wife."  A book that walked you through the power of praying scripture for your husband.  A book that encouraged you to see your husband through the Lord's eyes.  A book that encouraged me to come alongside  Jeff so he might fulfill the role God has given him, in our family, in our church, in our community, in our world.

Jeff started to pray more fervently with me and to work purposefully, daily, on how he was speaking to his kids. He started holding me accountable and seeking the Lord in ways I have never seen him do before....so persistently...so lovingly...and in a way that makes me want to be a better person, a better mother, a better wife.  When a skirmish starts, the man is there, patiently guiding the perpetrators through the motions.  What would be the best way to react?  How could we do this better?  What would the Lord say about this?  How can you show kindness in this situation?

And my favorite...(not really)
Kat, STOP!  STOP talking.  It is doing no one any good!

I have to say....I have always adored my hubby...but my respect for him has grown so much over the last 6 months.  Watching him trust the Lord with all these things makes me feel safe.  It makes ME want to trust the Lord, too.  Watching him become more of a Godly man makes me want to become more of a Godly wife.  A wife that can come alongside him, and help him. 

And you know what?  We are all learning how to talk to each other.  We are all learning to listen to each other.  We are all learning how to work through conflict.  We are all learning to "be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on ONE purpose." Phil. 2:2
We are learning to...'do nothing from selfishness or vain conceit." Phil. 2:3

My girls are beginning to..."regard one another as more important than themselves..." and "look out for the interests of others." Phil. 2:3-4

And Jeff, my dear sweet Jeff, has been a living example of..."working out his salvation with fear and trembling..for it is God at work in him, to will and to work for His good pleasure." Phil 2:13

Sweating the Little Stuff

Before the snow started falling...I snapped this pic. These are my yahoos...all four of them.

Still cannot believe God picked me to be their mama. How outrageous is that? This morning... I was praying with Jeff. Lately I have found it difficult to be their mama. It isn't that I do not want the job.... It's just...

I am finding the job a bit overwhelming for goofy little ole' me.

Then Jeff whispered..."You CANNOT care for them on your own, Kat. It is only in HIS strength that you can mange to get through the day. So start there. Ask HIM to give you what you NEED, to care for them the way HE needs you to." He held me, and prayed over me, that today would be different. That God would sent me encouragement...and help me through the day. These are the words God sent me.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by PRAYER and

SUPPLICATION with THANKSGIVING

Let your requests be made known to God. (Phil. 4:6)

So today, we have been taking each challenge this way. Whispering a prayer with each frustration that comes. Choosing to focus on what HE would have for us, instead of what I insist gets done.

Have you ever made a list of the things that frustrate you throughout the day? I am going to start...today. Every time I feel irritated about something...I am going to write it down.

And then give it to God. I am going to do this, because the reason I struggle with parenting my kids is I am too consumed with insignificant things. Things that Satan would love for me to be consumed with, and things that God wishes I would just give to HIM.

In EVERYTHING..pray!

When you trip over the dirty laundry in the middle of the bathroom floor...pray.

When Mae does not get her math done in a prompt manner...pray.

When Li-Li does not get to the bathroom quick enough...pray.

When Kiki rips your favorite book to shreds...pray.

When Mac gives you that nasty look, that look she learned from YOU....pray.

He did not say, Just pray about the big things. He did not say...ONLY pray about the missionaries, ONLY come to me regarding your paycheck, or whether you should move into a different house.

He said, "In EVERYTHING, pray."

Sounds easy, right? Well, there's a catch. One I did not notice, until I screwed up writing this post, and had to do some rewriting. I kept wanting to make it so simple...In EVERYTHING, pray."

but it is not...

"but in EVERYTHING with prayer and supplication WITH Thanksgiving...

let your requests be made known to God."

Ahhhhh.

We need to be thankful. THANKFUL?

Dear God, I am so thankful for my little Li-Li, who ONCE again was so utterly enthralled with the clubhouse she was building with her sister, that she forgot to head to the potty BEFORE she needed to, and thus not only wet all over herself, but ruined the princess costume she was wearing, as well as the pillows she was standing on! Thank you so much, Lord, that you have given this little munchkin to me!

SIGH. That's the trick, isn't it? How in the world am I to be thankful about THAT?

It's funny, though. When you come to the Lord, trusting the Holy Spirit to intercede when you are not quite able...the Lord takes your frustrations from you and starts your thinking down a different path. The Lord replaces the frustration with thanksgiving. Suddenly, that princess costume and those pillows are not so very important. The funny four year old wearing them is.

So there is a catch...Pray with THANKSGIVING.

But guess what. Usually, when God gives us a command....He also gives us a promise.

Something He assures us we will experience, if we follow through and do what HE commands.

If in everything...we PRAY....with THANKSGIVING...This is what HE promises...

And the peace of GOD,

which surpasses all comprehension...

shall GUARD your hearts,

And your minds in Christ Jesus.

(Phil 4:7)

This is the answer. This is what I was asking of God this morning.

Lord, how in the world can I manage to effectively, lovingly parent these four little people?

Be anxious for NOTHING!

In everything...PRAY..with THANKSGIVING!

If we do this...He promises....MY peace shall guard your hearts.

Have you ever met someone whose heart was guarded by God's peace?

I am pretty sure I met someone like that yesterday.

She is a YMCA mom, who brings her two youngest daughters into the nursery. Her daughters are adorable, easy little things to watch over. Mom is one of these youthful, blonde, blue eyed, soft spoken types that always, always has a smile on her face. Her every movement is graceful and sweet. Always calm, always a kind word.

I honestly thought she was about 27 years old.

We were chatting with her yesterday, telling her how wonderful her girls were...and how "pink" they were dressed. She mentioned that after having all boys, she really went wild with the pink outfits for her girls. We were a bit taken back, she looked so young. We did not realized she had any other kids.

"Oh," she said, "I have ten kids."

We were shocked. She does not look at all like a mom with ten kids. She is so happy. She is so patient. She is so...so peaceful.

Then she let loose on her age. She is ....43 years old. 43. No way...no way...is this sweet little fresh faced smiling mama of 10... 43 yrs old. I was in awe. How could that be?

She must pray with thanksgiving. Her heart must be guarded by HIS peace. At any rate...she LOOKS like someone who lives this way. More importantly...she ACTS like someone who lives this way. She is someone you would want to be around. She is someone you would aspire to emulate. The years and energy have NOT taken their toll on her demeanor at all. She is AT peace with herself, with life, with the LORD.

Does your family find you to be someone at PEACE?

(Are you shaking your head, no, right now?)

In our sinfulness...we muck it all up. Make life wayyyy too complicated.

Worry and fret over ridiculous stuff instead of giving it to God, and then get so stressed out we cannot enjoy the life God has given us. Cannot walk in peace. Cannot REST in HIM.

We are empty and worn from wasting all our energy on stuff that He can carry for us...instead of being FULL and alive with His peace He PROMISES to give us.

If we would just pray....with thanksgiving.

By the way, the very next verse in Philippians gives us the perfect way to stop sweating about the little stuff completely.

Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise...

dwell on these things.

(Phil 4:8)