Random, but encouraging thoughts!

Exhausted:

In church last week, we sang a praise song called "He is Exalted." It reminded me that a few months ago my son, Brazos, walked around the house singing his own version of the beautiful melody. He changed it up a bit though. He sang "He is exhausted, the King is exhausted on high, I will praise Him." I totally cracked up at his precious mishap. He later asked me why God was so exhausted. Oh, what a loaded question! I tried to tell my son the truth...God does not get tired. He can handle it all, the big, the little. He knows all. He sees all. He is the ALL! When I simply look at my own prayer list or allow the Holy Spirit to remind me throughout the day of those in need of prayer, I often feel exhausted though. Oh, dear friends, we may be exhausted, but rest assured that the Lord is not! My son reminded me of that simple truth.

Pink Sky:

I commented to my husband at 5 this morning that it sure was dark outside. Even when I glanced out of the window again an hour or so later, there did not seem to be any progress going on in the sky. I thought we might settle for another cloudy, spring day as I glanced out of my bathroom window...just gray! I walked on over to the mirror and began putting on my make-up. The reflection in the mirror showed a few more wrinkles as usual, but also a dab of pink in the sky that I had not first noticed just moments before. I walked back over to the window and could not believe my eyes. Over in the corner of the pasture nestled above the trees was a pink sunrise just beginning to show that was amazing. I missed it the first time, but only needed to wait a few minutes and then go back to take a second look. I remembered for a moment all of the times in my life that the situation seemed gray, dull, or even dark and scary at first glance, but just around the corner, there was a glimpse of hope or a beautiful sunrise just waiting to appear in the distance.

This whole picture unfolding in my bathroom mirror reminded me of when a young father in Teague suddenly passed away two summers ago. I was driving from Teague to Fairfield after seeing his family and saw the darkest, dreariest cloud hovering in the sky around Big Cedar Country Club that I knew I had ever seen. The funny thing about this monster rain cloud was that on the very, tipsy top of it, there was a small point that was light because the sun was shining on it. It was like one little section of the cloud decided not to join the rest of it and take on the same color, appearance, or even attitude. It was holding out for sunshine while the rest of the cloud was was destined to rain.

I prayed for Robert's family as I drove, eyes open for those of you wondering. ....Lord, give them a glimpse of hope. It will take years before they can see the whole picture, but like the one little part of this cloud that seems to have hope of a brighter day, help them have hope." I loved staring at clouds when I was a little girl and making out shapes. Maybe this is a grown-up version of the Lord graciously speaking to me. I sure do hope so! If not, I need a good therapist!

Pajama Day:

My preschool daughter celebrated her 100th day of school last week. She exclaimed for all to hear, near and far, when she got up "This is the best day of my life!" I already knew why. I let the others ask her though for a good laugh. She was not ashamed of her answer at all as she yelled out "Because I get to wear pajamas to school." She had her pink pok-a-dot ones laid out on her bed and was ready to roll super early.

When I looked at her smiling face all ready to go for pajama day, I could not help but think..."If it were only that easy for us grown ups!" I thought of her all day and wondered why as adults we can't get that excited over the little things in life a little more. We so get caught up in the habit of looking forward to the big things in life - you name it, the vacations, the pay raises, houses, etc. My daughter's "Best day of her life" helped me take my eyes off of the next big event around the corner and focus on the wildflowers blooming, my good health, our new chickens, and picking wild berries. She jogged my memory, and my heart, to encourage me that this could be my last day here on this earth, so I better make it the best! In honor of Blaise, we spent most of Saturday in our PJs and had a memorable time at home together doing nothing!


Sarah Jo:

Sarah Jo Frankin currently serenades the streets in heaven I am sure, but not so many years ago she sang here in her hometown Fairfield. My favorite song was "He'll do it again." It says "He'll do it again, if you just take a look at where you are now and where you've been. Hasn't He always come through for you...."

Wow, I need to hear that from time to time. If I just take a look back over my shoulder in the direction of the past, I am really amazed at the Lord's faithfulness and disappointed in myself that I do not have more faith! Even in the bad times when things did not turn out like I would have liked, I can say that God has been faithful and He has taken care of me. I recently read "We may not know the end of the story, but we can know the storyteller."

A lost cap:

I had a minute today and worked my way through my boy's cabinet full of clothes. I sorted t-shirts, shorts, and pajamas. In the midst of my organizational tear through the mess, I found my son's baseball cap. He does not play again until Thursday, but I have never put it in that cabinet and I don't think he has either. What on earth was it doing stashed on the back of the cluttered shelf? We usually keep it on the hat rack, Duh! I was surprised I happened to stumble upon the cap, but I sure was glad. I could imagine us all Thursday embarking on the great search for Bosque's blue cap at the last minute. It would have been a disaster and I am convinced that we would not have looked there or found it in that unusual location!

Discovering this "not yet lost" cap reminded me of how different verses in the Bible seem to hide and then pop up just when I need them. I read and really thought I took in John 15:5 a few years ago; however, the Lord is speaking to me with it and it has taken on a new meaning! I really have had to take into my core, deep into the depths of my own pride, that apart from the Lord...I can not do anything! I will come up short every time and with everything in life if I am not closely walking with the Lord! I don't mean one of those walks either where one person goes off and leaves the other, but a steady hand-in-hand walk. Our race here can not be won by running ahead, anxiously sprinting to the end, or giving up half way to the finish line. Our race begins and ends when we know "I am the vine, you are the branches. If man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."