Parents came to visit!
That could be a good thing…or bad…luckily, they behaved! HA! Isn’t that how we often feel? At the end of a family visit, I am all too consumed with “their” behavior, instead of my own!
Today was different. I was up at 5:30am with Kallie and Caleb for our quiet time with the LORD. (Chris was up too, but had to leave for work at 6am) I am telling you again…meeting with the LORD, and giving Him our first fruits, is the most powerful way to prepare our hearts for any situation.
You cannot imagine what we accomplished this morning before 11am. Cooked a roast. Made homemade potato salad. Cut up 3 different melons and made a fruit salad. Cleaned the bathroom. Folded the laundry. Cleaned bedrooms. I even went back to bed for 2 hours because I was still feeling sick. We swept, mopped, straightened up things in the yard. Took care of all the animals. Ate breakfast. (some of us). Packed two ice chests. Dropped off 7 bags of sorted clothes to the thrift store. Scrubbed pots and pans from the night before. Found dance clothes. Packed 8 towels, three chairs, an umbrella, a picnic, sand toys, floaties, a pair of goggles and a swim cap. We even found shoes for The Littles.
All of this in itself may very well describe your morning. However, the big difference for us, the deal clincher, if you will, was our JESUS. HE kept us cheerful, working together, staying on task and on time. HE prepared our hearts for welcoming my parents and making them feel special. (there were still two kids who had to sit in time-out at the lake for 1/2 hour due to unnecessary arguing in the car.)
It is possible that we all felt special today. We ate red licorice. We got sunburned and laughed over farmer’s tans from the Ranch. We swapped stories with others and prayed for hardships. We giggled over The Littles’ and their antics. It felt great to sit by my mom under the umbrella, feeling proud that I look so much like her. It was fun to hear Kallie and Caleb tell about Grandpa laughing and commenting during a Bill Cosby episode, “just like their mom”. One of the funniest parts was the orange slices. I love orange slices. I don’t buy them often, but I always love them. A friend was sitting near us and had a container of orange slices. It was like “orange slice radar” going off in my taste buds. I could not resist asking for one. (she later gave the whole container to Keeghan) After we arrived back home, my mom mentioned how she just had to ask a stranger for one of her orange slices. I could not believe it. My friend must have gotten a kick out of the grandmother first, the granddaughter second, and the mom third…all going crazy over orange slices. Although she is almost always generous and kind, I think it gave her greater pleasure than usual to watch us tromp up the hill with our precious container of orange slices between us!
Thanks mom and dad for giving me a wonderful day. I was certainly the one who felt the most special! I still feel special! I am off to bed feeling special!
I am so looking forward to meeting with the LORD on the morrow. He whispers that His word is filled with promises from Him as I seek Him, know Him, share Him, and try to be more like Him. This trailer of ours is looking quite homey today. The LORD makes me content and blesses me beyond my imaginations! Perhaps it looked like just any other day from the outside, but here in Browns Valley, it was another day of mini-miracles. (if a miracle can be called “mini”)
I am asking the LORD to show you something beautiful about your every-day-ness. Our kids are growing up so fast, and our time on earth is not forever. I want to experience God’s beauty each day. I will be praying for you this evening as I sink down into my most prized possession…my off-brand memory foam mattress! Ahhhhhhh……total comfort!
Tally Ho and Goodnight.
We had a lovely time too. I’d rather ask a stranger for an orange slice than buy a whole container myself and eat it all. She was very sweet. Love you guys so much. Love, Mom