Blessings in the Ordinary

Today wasn't a very spectacular day.  I heard my kids get up and chat away this morning.  I heard them head upstairs for their breakfast.  And get sidetracked by all their toys. 

It was a day like every other day.  A day full of blessings.

I got out of bed and got dressed just like every other day.  My body hurt, but that's pretty normal.  I have friends who are in so much pain that the simple act of getting out of bed, and making it to get dressed are monumental tasks.  It's one of those things that we can take for granted, forgetting other people are praying for that simple little daily task.

I got my baby out of her crib to get her dressed for her day.  The third baby that I've gotten to hold this side of heaven.  I get to do that.  Every day. 

I went to church without any worry of persecution for my beliefs.  Because I am blessed to live in a country where that freedom is protected.

I had the chance to check in with some family.  And watch my baby boy show love to his Aunt, who is struggling right now.  We are blessed to live close to family, and we are equally blessed that they allow us to walk through life with them.  Struggles and all.

I met my husband at his work for lunch.  Because when you own your own business, work isn't 9-5 Monday to Friday.  It isn't even 8 hour shifts 5 days a week.  It's been 7 days a week since May.  But he has work.  He is able to provide for us.  Something millions of people all over the world can only dream about tonight.

I came home to my house that has electricity, appliances, furniture and clothing.  Because again, I am blessed.  I don't have to worry that my electricity is going to be turned off because I had to choose food over light.  All those dishes in my sink?  They mean that my family has regular food, and I have the privilege of washing my dishes in a kitchen.  With hot water.  Something those of us in a first world country take for granted almost every single day.

I got to watch my girls play outside today.  My beautiful, amazing 6 year old girl, splashing in the baby pool with her little sister.  Watching their faces light up when they discovered something new.  Or when I got to watch my baby run over to her big sister, and big sister's face glowed with love.

There are so many more things I could mention.  But I think I've made my point. 

You have a choice every single day to wake up and look for the good.  And the more you look, the easier it becomes to find.  There are people living in your neighbourhood praying for what you take for granted.  And I don't mean to downplay those bad days.  We all have them.  But if today is the worst day of your life, doesn't that mean tomorrow can only be better?

Today I choose joy.

If you have a prayer request, I would love to lift you up in prayer.  Leave a comment, and I will be praying for you!

Little Hands

I was washing my baby's hands after lunch today, and it struck me how very tiny they looked in mine.  She turned 2 at the end of 2016, but she is still so petite.  Her older siblings are huge on the growth charts (their Dad is 6'6", so it makes sense), while she is in the bottom third.  I always joke that I might just get one "my size!" 

You know those "calculations" that you can do to predict how big your kids are going to be when they finish growing?  My older two are both supposed to be around 6' tall.  My littlest probably won't be even close to that.  And that's okay.  They were made that way for a purpose.  And they are beautiful just as they are.

So much has happened in the last 2 months that it's amazing.  We had a mouse infestation in our house, which turned out to be both disgusting and productive.  I have never decluttered in such a ruthless fashion in my entire life!  I have gotten rid of over 20 garbage bags worth of donations in just over a month.

My husband had kidney stones and had to go back to the ER 3 times in one week.  Few things will make you appreciate the health of your family more than having a medical emergency.  And it brings to light the amazing community that we have to help with child care, meals, and just plain old fashioned contact as people showed us that they care.

We had a rental property be part of a drug/armed weapons raid.  And we found out on Facebook.  The only silver lining I've found from that one is that we now know the Rental Code better than ever before...

We had our baby girl partially dislocate her elbow on Christmas Eve.  She is double jointed and so we may have more of this in our future.  But if that is her only health complication, we are still so blessed!  As we spent Christmas morning in the ER (they know us well there), we had the chance to talk to the other people that were there for various reasons.  We had grandparent types reliving stories of their children when they were that age, letting me know that accidents will happen, kids will be kids, and that it will one day be something I miss.  We had people the same age as my parents talking about how their grandkids are meeting milestones and just how precious this time is.  So many "firsts" to be had.  There were staff members missing family events just to help us, and doing it with a smile on their face, knowing we didn't really want to be there either.

We had a friend lose his wife after a life long battle with heart problems.  We watched his community come together for him in a way that is beyond description.  I can't imagine the mixed feelings he has every single day about missing her in his life, and being so grateful that she's whole now, rejoicing with those she is joining now in heaven.

I had a friend suffer a shocking loss with such grace, it's difficult to fathom.  Her family walked through the loss quite publicly because they know God does everything for a reason, and maybe something great could happen out of their pain.  I still don't understand how they did that.  They allowed the world in to celebrate the life of someone who was truly a gift, and only wanted to do more for others.  I watched my kids pray in earnest for these people that they had never met, because they too know loss, but they also know the comfort of knowing you will one day see them again.  They helped me make gifts for them because that's what you do.  You reach out in love.

And what does this all have to do with those little hands?  Well, these last 2 months have flown by.  The last 2 years have flown by since I welcomed my final baby into this world.  And 5 years before that, her brother.  And 2 years before that, her sister.  And 2 years before that, the day I walked down the aisle to the man God blessed me with.

You see, those hands?  They'll never be quite that small again.  None of theirs will.  We can never predict what tomorrow brings.  I certainly never would have guessed what these last 2 months would have brought.  Definitely not what I had planned to happen!

So today, tell those around you that you love them.  Hug those close to you.  Say thank you to that cashier, or teacher, or cab driver.  Hold the door open just because you can.  We have such a short time on this earth to impact it for the better.  Start today!

Helping Hearts

I have been thinking a lot lately about getting back to something that has brought me such joy in the past.  For most of my adult life, I have loved surprising those around me with something special.  It isn't necessarily something amazing, just something that lets them know that someone is thinking of them.  That someone has noticed them and loves them.

I have done this in fits and spurts since having children, as it isn't something that often sits at the forefront of my mind.  But my friend, it is such an amazing thing to bless those around you.  And the feeling that you get after blessing someone?  Indescribable.

In the past, my husband and I have sponsored Christmas for families around us that wouldn't otherwise get Christmas.  I don't have a need for anything, and I would much rather know that I have given someone else the gift of unconditional love than have another thing collecting dust.  I find information about the family we have selected by whatever means I can without being too obvious.  And when it is all wrapped up and pretty, my husband often gets the job of invisible delivery boy.  Who knew that playing "Nicky Nicky nine doors" as an adult could have such wonderful results?

We have also just dropped off random packages we feel that still small voice telling us that someone needs something.  We have dropped of food to those who have lost a family member, or care packages to those who have recently had a life change.  We have gifted bags to others that we feel God speaking to us about.

There was one lady that we knew at church.  She seems to lead a somewhat lonely life.  She is a beautiful soul who believes that a hug will always make someone feel better.  I had felt God prompting me with her name, so I made a gift package up for her.  She came into the church one afternoon after she had been in a small car accident, only to find that my package was waiting for her.  She told our church secretary that it absolutely made her week to receive a gift at just that moment.  She was worrying how she was going to get from A to B as her car was getting fixed, as she didn't have the extra insurance that covered a rental car.  She was concerned about how much the cost was going to be to get her car fixed.  It was just a really stressful week for her.  And yet here she walks into church, and a gift is waiting just for her.  She knew right then and there that God had this.  She needed only to trust him.  And to this day, she still doesn't know it was me.  Because I am just the delivery person.  The credit goes to Him.

I'm not telling you this to brag, or make you think I have this amazing, simple life that allows me to just do perfect things.  I assure you, that is far from the case.  I am just trying to tell you that sometimes, in the middle of your crazy, you could be an answer to someone else's prayer.  Maybe they are waiting for you to say "Yes" to that still, small voice.

It can be as simple as asking the person next to you how they are.  And actually listening to their response.  I challenge everyone who reads this to see how many hearts they can touch this week.  Tell that cashier that they are really good at their job.  Smile and tell another Mom you know that she is an amazing mother.  Call your parents and thank them for letting you survive your teenage years!

If you have a prayer request, I would feel honoured if you would leave it in the comments below so that I can lift you up in prayer.

Blessings!

One of the Lucky Ones

As I wrote in my last post, there have been a lot of goodbyes in my life recently.  And they've had me thinking.  I go back to a conversation I had with a friend of mine last year.  We can choose to be sad that we've lost someone close to us.  And we're allowed to be sad.

But we can choose to be glad too.  We can choose to thank God in the midst of grief.  We are lucky because God has chosen to give us some pretty important people in our lives.  And if you're like me, and you are still crying 8 years later, then you're even luckier.  Those people that pass through your life and go on their merry way?  They are a part of your journey.  But those ones that impact your heart for the rest of your life?  What a glorious gift. 

Missing those people, wishing you could hug them one last time, or tell them you love them because you can't help but feel that you didn't say it enough,is a gift.  If you still think of them years later, you also have memories of them.  Happy memories, or funny memories.  Poignant memories.  And a legacy.

You can tell those around you that you love them.  You can hug them.  You can create memories for you both to look back at and laugh.  Or cry. 

My kids asked me today if I could tell them about my Aunt.  They wanted to know if I knew her secrets, and if I could share them.  She was one heck of a women.  From an early age life kept knocking her down.  But she never let it stop her.  She always got back up.  She was a stabilizing force in our family, always putting the family before herself.  She had a wicked sense of humor.  She was loyal to a fault.  She could throw with amazing aim (just ask me about "what's green?" one day).  And she loved without measure.

She taught me that love is unconditional. 

That family is the most important thing you have ever been given. 

Life is to be lived. 

You are never too old to learn something new. 

Forgiveness is always an option.

There is always something to be thankful for.

I don't know her secrets.  I don't know how she always got back up when she was down, put a smile on her face and kept on trucking.

I do know that she left behind a legacy.  And each time I think of her, I can choose to show my kids just a sliver of who she was.  I can show my gratitude by paying the most important parts of her forward.  Maybe that's the secret...

Appreciate Your Tribe

I am blessed to be surrounded by a diverse group of people who all love and support me. And it has really been at the forefront of my thoughts lately what a great gift this is.

I have mentioned before my immediate and extended family.  And some friends that have stuck by me through thick and thin.

Lately I've been thinking about my Mom's group.  I have taken over leadership of the group after a friend and her family relocated. I feel so uncomfortable calling myself a leader. If you knew me, you would understand that for me, any group larger than 2 (me and one other person) is a challenge.  I don't do well in groups.  I actually spend most of my time in my house avoiding groups of people.  And yet I was called to do just that. I think God laughs at my plans once again.

The funny thing?  It's forcing me to grow in ways I never thought I would.  I now pray for people in front of a group of people. Talk about uncomfortable. My prayer life has always been a very private thing for me.  God and me.  That makes 2. Pretty much my limit.

I lead discussions. Me. The one who almost never spoke during the weekly discussions before, even though I've been a part of this group for almost 4 years now.  And now I'm usually the first to go. Mainly because everyone else waits for me to start...but I do it!

And these women are so different. Growing up in different provinces and countries.  Different decades. Different everything. And yet they show up week after week, to do life with me. They offer me advice and perspectives before that I've never considered. They are my tribe, and for better or worse, they are there for each other. Through child rearing debacles, sickness, marital discord, family issues.  And we don't always see eye to eye.  Really, when you get a group of women together, how often do they all truly agree?  But I hope I can continue the pattern of respect, openness and support that was started by my predecessor.  And that God would help me to add even a portion to these women's lives as they have given me.

I don't know if you have a tribe. Maybe you have the perfect mix of support in your life.  Maybe you're struggling to connect on a deeper level.  I pray that He would bring in women who will have your back.  Who will challenge you to grow, even when you don't want to.  And who will show you grace and acceptance no matter what.