The fact that since we've lived here, Mallory has grown two inches? She especially loves this area because it's all about camouflage clothing and trucks and country music, some of her favorite things! And the fact that the girls, both of them, are now brunettes?
The fact that in this past month, since we settled here, we have gone to our high school just about every day, to either take some 'needed item', or to pick some one (all together we have four freshman, one sophomore and one junior, our eighth grader attends the middle school) up for an appointment. Because we are there so often and because the receptionist immediately 'took a liking' to us, Madison is an office aid this semester--which is great, because she is getting to know the administrators, and the kids and the building well! The most amazing thing about their high school is, first of all, that the building is brand new--it just opened in August. Driving up to it is pretty impressive, with the trees and mountains as a gorgeous back drop. But when you come out the front door, the view in that direction is breath-taking--literally!
The fact that I rave about how gorgeous North Georgia is all the time, because I love the hills, mountains, fall colors and weather...to the point that yesterday, one of our boys responded with "I am so sorry they didn't have trees where ya'all came from"...I probably shouldn't mention it again in their presence!--Hilarious!
The fact that I sat one entire day at a surgery center, while one of our boys had throat surgery. If you know me at all, you know that I 'do not do bodily fluids well'...(that's why God gave me Randy)...however, I even held his head and the bucket when the anesthesia was wearing off and the drink he'd been given needed to make an exit--and I didn't even flinch. Perhaps, I'm growing up. You may wonder, then, why didn't Randy just go with him, instead? Well, come to find out, this boy is really close to his momma...and she, for numerous reasons, was not present for this important event...he asked specifically if I could take him....how could I have said 'no'? He talked a lot about her, and his family, and we watched cooking shows while he was in recovery. Rand was there for a good portion of the day, and he's done a couple of the post op visits instead of me--we sort of trade off those kinds of appointments. On this same thought, one of the boys made a comment yesterday that made me stop in my tracks. We had a relief parent here, so we could have our time off and before we left she made a general comment to the boys about what a 'good momma' they have here now. This young man responded with 'yeah, she's the best mom I've ever had, and I've had four,' as he finished his peanut butter sandwich.
The fact that we are so busy most days, that we fall in to bed at night, exhausted. The other part of that is that we love love love what we are doing...and it shows up in the most unexpected places. While I loved being women's minister at our church, and still miss the interaction with the congregation and the staff terribly, I am certain that God has fashioned our lives to be exactly where we are right now. If I had not been 'there' I would not be nearly as equipped for the amount of pastoral care we do here.
The fact that pastoral care is a relative term...and I do not use it in reference only to the boys in our home...for, it seems, at every turn there is someone who tell me their story, and I find myself turning it back to scripture, or what God is doing in it or will do with it--what ever 'it' is!
The fact that our older girls miss us, and we miss them and the rest of our family terribly, but we get words and cards that say: "I love you both so much, but I know you are where you are supposed to be" is such a sign, not only of maturity, but also that they are supportive of this move in our lives. We are excited to contemplate seeing them in just a couple of short weeks...and my prayer remains that what my Grandma AnnaBelle said so many years ago still will ring true today: Absence makes the heart grow fonder! She, of course, was speaking of young loves that had to be separated by war, or work...but she lived it out in the lives of my sister and me, because she lived so far from us--and we knew she loved us--across the miles.
The fact that one of my dearest friends had a suicide attempt and I am six hours away. This has broken my heart. However, this event is not about me. It is, however, completely about her, and her trust in a loving, graceful, merciful God....the God of Heaven and Earth. As I heard about this event, and then fell to my face to pray for her, and the situation, I remembered all the time we'd spent together. We laughed, cried, studied and discussed scripture, God, hopes and dreams. We talked about her past and her future, we discussed child-rearing and we laughed a lot. She has taught me so much about 'pre-judging' people...and 'pre-expecting' outcomes from people. Her faithfulness is amazing. Her love for the Lord is inspiring. The move of Him in her life has been one filled with grace and provision. These past weeks, life on this earth got on top of her. I have cried more this week than I have in a very long time...(remembering that tears are good for my soul). I have been on the verge of tears most of the time, and the kids, all of them, have been super sweet to check on me (in their own way--because most of them have dealt with pain so much deeper than anything I've ever experienced)...as I contemplated life, and my friend's decision, I was directed to a passage of scripture that seemed to minister to my soul in a way that made me weep as it delivered comfort and insight to me:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
These are words from the I Peter 1:3-9, NIV.
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