~ The Dripping Never Goes Away

I wake up,

Crawl out of bed

Longing for a few more minutes

To sleep, to think

Before chaos ensues

Like it always does.

These boys of mine DID NOT come with a volume control;

No mute button,

No slow-motion setting,

Not even a pause button.

I fear I'm not ready to face it all again.

Will this day hold anything new?

Will it be any different than all the rest of my days lately?

I pause, as I'm in the habit of doing.

I bow my head.

I confess, cry out really, I am incapable of doing this thing I do everyday on my own.

I am nothing without Him.

I determine to set my ears to His tune for this day

to listen for His rhythms

And in that moment, I hear the ever-so-soft dripping sound I hear only when I stop to listen for it

and the dripping washes over me until my heart begins to see the newness of this day

-the mercies

- the grace

- the goodness

- the gifts

• All four children sleeping in long enough for me to get my bearings (and a cup of coffee and a quiet moment) this morning.

• An older child nestling up close to offer humble words, "I'm sorry for my attitude about lunch. I started thinking about all the people who would have been happy to have my lunch. Will you forgive me?"


• A child noticing that mom didn't yell today, and following it up with, "...and neither did I!" (We're both working on it! We're too much alike, the two of us! It is a daily taming for both of us.)

• A nine-year-old who started and finished a book while he waited for his brother's gym class to finish. (That's six books in less than two weeks.)

• A science experiment that actually works!
  
  

• The big "aha" as one of them stops me in the middle of the story of Abraham sacrificing his son, Isaac, "Oh I get it! God provided the ram to take Isaac's place, and Jesus will take our place!" (Ahh, sweet light of truth!) (We were reading in this Genesis commentary again. Great discussion always follows!)
  
  
• A two-year old squealing with delight, "Nummy! Thanks for making dinner, Mom!" as he shovels a huge mouthful of mashed potatoes in his mouth.

• A passport arriving in the mail for one who was not born in this country. His first passport was issued by the Republic of Korea. This one was issued by the United States after two attempts, just in time for him to take his 2nd international flight as he and his dad go away for a "rite of passage", "coming of age", "Yea! I'm a teenager now" Father/Son trip (more on that at a later date)

• Two blessed hours of quietness before I lay my body down (unless it collapses from sheer exhaustion first).

Photos are of our humble little school and the little one who likes to be in the middle of it all.