“I thought it would all get back to normal,” she continues. “Here’s the road… we’re gonna take a detour. About a year into it, my sister said to me, ‘You know, I think the detour is actually the road.’”
It resonates with me. In my own disfunctional way, I tend to focus on the next thing all the time. I think about this week like a little hill to climb. Monday- oh, boy, hang on! Wednesday- halfway there. Friday- made it! Saturday- full on family day. Sunday- regroup and get ready to do it again.
I think about this rental house as a little time of transition. Year one was supposed to be acclimating to Richmond. Check. Year two was supposed to be paying off debt and positioning for a move to something. . . farther out? Bigger? Older? More us. And year three is impending and this brief"transition time" isn't feeling so short anymore.
And we are in baby season again. And I tell myself through pregnancy sickness and fatigue and recovery after labor that it's just a season. And it is. But all these seasons, they are adding up. (Something like four and a half years just in that pregnancy phase!) And this IS the road. This IS my life. Ups and downs and no detours but always on the road. Sometimes I just don't recognize it for what it is, because it isn't what I expected or planned for myself.
But isn't this what I'm called to? It seems rather humble, bearing and raising children. Tending a home; making a home for a man to come to. Making meals for others and smiling at my neighbors and praying. . . If this is the great work of my life- just to smile today when I want to roll my eyes, to bless when I would curse, to serve another meal, to go without the last cookie, to read books and practice Romans 8 with my children. . . If this is the great work of my one earthly life- and not just a detour on the way to something else-. . . well, then, I want to do this well.
And so it stinks when I fail and have a little tantrum: "I just want to exercise!!" And eat chocolate in the kitchen without sharing. And roll my eyes when I shouldn't. And say things I shouldn't. And fail to look up when my most important people are talking to me.
Thank goodness that I'm not a lost cause! Not LOST because of Jesus. Not lost because I'm on the road He has for me. That's a reason to give thanks.
1121) This is a road, taking me to glory. I'm not lost.
1122) There is forgiveness for my failures.
1123) My kids can laugh at me.
1124) Yummy chocolate cookies (see Carol's cookie recipe).
1125) Romans 1 memorized and a wonderful family celebration.
1126) Snow! Surprise snow at the end of March... fun to have a snow day and a snow man.
1127) A haircut and a new skirt and JuicePlus+ conference to look forward to.
1128) Phone calls with friends. SO good for my heart.
1129) Easter pieces the men here made. Such a good project of our young men.
1130) A girl who loves to celebrate. She's so excited about Easter and I know she'll bless us.
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| When you are the baby in a family of 6 kids, you get to be the SUPERBABY. |
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