I had no idea what she was talking about, but when I pulled up the page on my computer, it didn't take long for horror to settle in and the tears to start streaming. It felt physically painful.
I went to snuggle with my 1st grader who was on the couch, home sick and a little while later it was a beautiful sight to see the K, 1st and 2nd grade classes walking down the steps, down the sidewalk in single-file, all the while smiling, giggling and singing....just like they do everyday.
Everyone is struggling to make sense of it....lots of on and off tears. Its so close to home and I just keep thinking of my own precious first grader and her sweet teacher and silly, sweet, innocent classmates. They skip and dance instead of walk, they play on the monkey bars, they hug freely.
I am reminded, as I go through our everyday life pictures from the week, just how much of a vapor this life is. Every day, every moment we have is a GIFT....each photo I take could be the last, each hug we exchange. It sounds cliche until we are reminded, as we were this week, that nothing but Jesus is promised to us.
Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child . . . .
Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world . . . .
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
This week included dress rehearsals Saturday-Wednesday and performances on Thursday and Friday and tonight. Since Shaun needs to be there early to setup and he's among the last to leave and we live a half an hour away, it made for some crazy times for the kids, who were also trying to get school in during the week.
We did a couple late mornings, a couple early dismissals, a couple sick days and made it work....though not everyone would agree, we believe its a worthy tradeoff for them being involved in ministry. Maybe you'll agree too when you read further down. :)
December 9
Morning snuggles and some blessed downtime.
Happy dance.
Sick girl, home from school taking a nap.
Sometimes you just need to make a big deal out of little things. My family was pleased to wake up and find this....
December 13
An intensely emotional day, which I'll blog about another time in more detail. I spent the morning in court as Z's foster mom...what an experience!
Then I got confronted by Z's therapist for giving her bad reviews on a questionnaire I filled out a couple weeks back.
In the evening, we had opening night for Richest Man in the Valley at church. Five members of Z's family came to watch him, four prayed a pray to ask Jesus into their hearts to be the Lord and Savior of their lives. Answered prayer!!! What an amazing God!!
I spent most of the day completely unaware of the day's events, just praising God for the work He did and will be doing in Z's family.
A favorite photo from the performance.
We had a beautiful service at church. I'm so thankful, not for religion, but for a relationship with Jesus, the anchor of my soul, my refuge.
The beautiful verses our pastor shared and a song we sang:
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Phil 4: 6-7
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” Ps 46:1-3,10
I thought about you right away too - so glad your people were all ok. I love the difference you're making in the lives of Z & his family :)
ReplyDeleteAnd now I want a donut. Heh.