quietness

This summer has been busy.  Between church events, family, friends visiting from out of town, and the constant requirements of maintaining a relatively clean/organized house, I have been staying quite occupied.  It has not left a lot of time for...a lot of things.

Now, I like being busy.  I like having places to go, people to see.  But in the last two weeks, I have come to realize something else.  There is a lot of value in quietness, being alone.

One of my biggest tasks in the last three weeks has been getting up to speed on two classes I will be teaching for high school seniors starting in two weeks.  I am very excited to be doing teaching and am loving reviewing material and being creative as I work on getting these high schoolers ready for college.  In my preparation, the hubby has been unspeakably helpful to take care of the kiddo (who is getting very talkative and more and more mobile) so that I can go grab a coffee and focus my brain power on what British literature I want these kids to read during the course of the year.  =)

As I have been working on my classes, it has also turned into blog reading time.  And then prayer and journaling time.  We serve an amazing God...He uses technology to connect people around the world who might otherwise never have had the ability to keep know each other or keep in touch.

But in the course of my blog reading, I have come across people that I "know" who are struggling with some very real problems right now.  Two bloggers I regularly follow have babies in NICU.  Others are dealing with recovering from illness or difficult pregnancies/deliveries.  People I know in my area are dealing with incapacitating pain from a variety of sources.  Both the hubby and myself have grandparents who have been in and out of hospitals for the last three months.

Life is short.  And precious.  And all in God's hands.

I realize that there is little I can do in a very physical sense to help these people.  There are doctors who are qualified to do much more for these people.  But there is something of value that I have been trying to do more often.

Pray.

My heart is wretched by all these stories and situations.  I want to be able to hold hands, hug, or make dinners for people.  But I'm not always able to do that.  So I take the most immediate and helpful thing I can do and do it with all my heart - pray.

via Pinterest & here

I know we serve a powerful and listening God.  He can see each of these people and has them in his hands.  What more can I ask for?  The Creator of the world is making sure that each person is given strength in measure for the difficulties in front of them.

That is comfort.

Have a beautiful day and stop to notice - it really is beautiful.

a time to...

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, And a time to die;

A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill, And a time to heal;

A time to break down, And a time to build up; 

A time to weep, And a time to laugh;

 A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain, And a time to lose;

A time to keep, And a time to throw away;

A time to tear, And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;

A time to love, And a time to hate;

A time of war, And a time of peace.

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?  I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

~Ecclesiastes 2.1-11~

Recently, I have been presented with several situations that have once again impressed on me the shortness of our time.  A dear college friend and I remembered that we graduated from college three long/short years ago and contemplated how our siblings and parents have all grown up and gotten older.  My once tiny baby is now nine and a half months old.  Friendships are growing and I want more and more time with these wonderful people.  My third wedding anniversary is rushing towards me at breakneck speed.  My brother is deploying to Afghanistan in the Army for nine months, leaving his new wife (they have only been married for three months) behind.  

With all of these different cases, the reality is clear.  I choose what is important to me in the time that I am given by what I choose to do.  God has given all of us a specific amount of time.  What are you doing with it?

I am afraid that I often fill my time with worries, frustrations, and silly little things.  Why do I do that?!  God has put eternity in our hearts and we feel so often the shortness of the time He has given us on this earth.  Put it to use for Him! He is making everything beautiful in its time...even me.  Even this poor, silly, jealous, selfish girl who wants so badly to be a woman for my God.

So as I worry about whether I vacuumed this week, did dishes yet, organized those silly papers on my desk, there are people and tasks out there that actually will fulfill my God-given task which mirrors His.  I am part of His process to make everything beautiful!  I have friends who are weeping this week who need comfort and company, family who is savoring the last few times we get to talk to my brother regularly, and babies to laugh with and watch as they grow physically and spiritually.  

Is this making any sense yet?  I'm not sure I'm making sense to myself entirely.  But this is what I am really trying to say.  Your time is short.  God has things for you to do.  Do them.  Don't get caught up in the silly and petty.  Dishes will always be there.  Your opportunity to laugh with your baby, talk to a family member, or pray for someone, may not be.  

Have a beautiful day, dear friends.

A little contemplation...

Today is Memorial Day.  And every year I think about the men and women who have faithfully served this country in war and peace.  But this year is different.

As I read the stories of heroism and bravery in the face of death, I am afraid.  Truly afraid.  My brother could be one of those stories soon.  Whether he is one of the men who lives to tell his story or whether others have to tell it for him remains to be seen.  But the people you hear about, read about, who gave their lives so selflessly for their country required a sacrifice of others also.  There were families of wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, who survived their soldier and now with pride and heads held high tell their stories to you.

What am I trying to say...I'm not sure.  Perhaps it is just to admit the very real fear that is starting to make itself known as the date for my brother's deployment grows closer.  A fear that I may be one of those people telling stories.  But even as the fear becomes more apparent, my prayers grow stronger and longer and more fervent to the God who keeps all His children in the palm of His hand and at the center of His will.  I know in whom I have believed and I am comforted with the knowledge that my brother does also.

This is what I am trying to say: keep listening to those stories.  And when you have listened, pray.  Pray because there will always be more stories to be heard and more families in need of comfort from the Great Comforter Himself.

My brother is on the left with his new bride (my new sister!).  Please keep them in your prayers.