Life happens

Every day is a gift. Each morning we open our eyes our gift awaits us. Sometimes our gift is packaged in shiny paper with beautiful bows and handmade gift tags. Some days our gift is wrapped in yesterday's newspaper. In the same respect, what is inside our gift is sometimes better than others. Life hands us all kinds of situations. The good, the bad, the up, the down--it all blends together to write our story.



Lately we've been handed some -- tougher times. I pause because nothing we've been handed is anything that we can't overcome.

For the last two weeks it seemed we were getting bad news on top of other bad news. B's trucking company where he works has been bought out so big changes are brewing. It was disheartening to hear that 11+ years of dedication to his job earned him no security. He was still required to apply for his own job as if he was new, right off the street.

I won't bore you with all the sordid details but for a moment all we could do was sit back, let it all sink in and cry. All the limbo was totally weighing us down. And our house was full of sickness, too.



But just as the Lord always does, He gave us just what we needed. The snow came. It came hard and fast. I was called home because of road conditions and a sick baby crying for the only thing that even remotely provided any comfort--mama. B was snowed in and couldn't get to work. And we all sat. And hugged. And snuggled. And took the quiet to refuel and make a game plan and focus on all that we have.



The next morning we woke up to a snow covered scene draped beautifully across the lawn with the sun shining bright. The light made the snow sparkle like diamonds were hidden among the soft powdery scene.



We didn't do much that day. We huddled in beneath warm, fuzzy blankets while the bitter temps hovered around 10 degrees all day. The pets didn't want out. No one wanted out. The cat cozy'd up next to the warm air vents and the dog found comfort in warm sunny spots where sunlight flooded through the windows. It seems we all welcomed the respite that day.





We watched a lot of Dora and Diego. We played with blocks. We read stories. We pulled out the "happy socks". Because nothing warms feet like a good pair of "happy socks".



I took a nap with the littles since they were all out for school. As I lay next to Little Britches I caught myself just totally wrapped up in being there, at that moment, with him. I vaguely remember my other two being little but now seeing just how those memories fade, I lay there just looking at him. Feeling his raspy, feverish breath hit my face, memorizing his curled little plump lips, rosy red cheeks, long eyelashes, gold-streaked fluff tangled on top of his head. I didn't want to forget one minute of it. Because, although no mommy wants to see their baby sick, every mommy knows that those are the times that wild little souls slow down and give their mommies a chance to curl them up to our chests and kiss those fevers away. It's when I feel my most triumphant. Like I made a difference in his life that day.

B has his own definition of triumphant. Triumphant is building a 1260 piece Lego castle and no one losing an arm! The boys worked on this day and night. Some little hands were more helpful than others but they all wanted to "do their part."





I started thinking about how life is so much like the Lego castle. Made up of so many tiny parts. Some pieces are essential to the entire construction. And if missing or misplaced, the castle will fall. Some pieces are nothing more than cosmetic. They make the castle pretty and appealing but are not a critical component of it's sturdiness. Many hands contribute to the castle being built and everyone's help is required. There are jobs for everyone. Someone is needed to sort colors. Someone is needed to interpret directions. Someone is needed to organize and lead the building efforts. Someone is needed to do the actual work or placing all the right pieces in just the right spots. Everyone has their specialty and all are appreciated.





On any given day life brings messes, both literally and figuratively. Some days we are content to let those messes sit, unattended to, while we step back and survey the damage. It makes cleaning up those messes seem like an attainable goal.



Plus, we have God on our side. We may not know what lies ahead down the road for us but we have comfort that God knows what is up ahead. He has always been mindful of us and we know that as long as we trust in Him, wholly, he will continue to be mindful of us. For now, we pray for understanding, wisdom and peace and have faith that He will provide.