Chaos and Grace

Today's Chaos (ahem...grumbling) Today's chaos is more accurately described as today's grumbling.  Today I took Jack for a fun breakfast date between going to the playground and running errands.   And sadly, I couldn't help but look at the receipt and think how many hours working at the restaurant that it took to pay for that small meal.  I try not to grumble about money too loudly as I know how blessed I am to occasionally go out to eat and to buy my kids nice school clothes and pay for their music and dance lessons - all things that we do not take for granted.  But some days in middle class America, every single thing seems to lose value in comparison to how many low paying hours we worked to pay for that thing, and it honestly just feels like a dark cloud of gloom, stress, and fear that whispers, "will we have enough to make it through each month, each unexpected car problem, each medical emergency, each unexpected kid growth spurt?" Today's Grac...

Today's Chaos A very heavy chair fell on my foot.  It's swollen and bruised and really hurts.  I'm working two jobs that are entirely on my feet right now, so it scares me to think this might be worse when I wake up.  I'm praying that ice and rest do their job overnight and that I can work tomorrow with no pain! Today's Grace and Gratitude Charles is doing very well in Senegal.   He says that he's seen and experienced so much that it's difficult to even explain.  Today he spent time with the people in the village, including the village elder and many of the children.   He ate a communal meal, heard amazing testimony of a miracle, and met incredible people.  He wants to take us all there some day.  Kaitlin and Jonathan are both ready! Isaiah 41:10  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 

It has been years since I last typed a blog entry, but as I find myself in the midst of the chaos of life, surrounded by grace and filled with a mixture of gratitude and stress, I find myself longing again for the blessing of organizing my thoughts into a blog post. Without trying to catch up all at once on all the things bringing chaos and stress to our life - Here is what I most want to share: I am finding that at the moment, most of the things that make my chest feel tight, my heart race, and even make me sit in vomit position with my head in my hands are the same things that I'm thanking God for. My daughter getting her license, my husband leaving on a mission trip to Africa, going back to school to get certified to teach, working two jobs... So much to worry about...so much to be grateful for. Our greatest stresses are not always easily seen as blessings like these things of course.  But for now, I will choose to focus on the grace offered in the midst of chaos with ...