Andy has had a busy year at work. Usually, we make it through (survive) session and then we have a little time to catch our breath before he begins some summer travel. Well, this year session ended on a Friday and by the following Thursday he was catching a plane for a business trip. And to add salt to the wound, it was a trip to the Florida Keys! He did not receive much of a loving send off to that one. Especially when he texted me a picture of his view. Well, 2 second later I sent him a picture of my view and told him I was not jealous at all. ;) Here's the side by side for you to judge for yourself.
Anyway, that just seemed to be the beginning of his summer of travel. There have been very few weeks where he has not had to travel. Although, we did sneak in a wonderful get-a-way, which I'll hopefully get to blog about later. :) So although it's summer and I don't have the pressure of getting schooling done, it's been fairly exhausting without having Andy around to help. As I write this I think of how that is a praise. Andy is such a wonderful daddy and very hands on, so when he is home he is a huge help! I really do notice when he is gone because he does so much to help lighten the load.
It's also a challenge for me because I am fairly stubborn about not receiving or asking for help. On a side note: this makes me think of Davis who is very much an "I can do it myself" personality. I often wonder how God will use his life since he has such independent and determined characteristics. It is exciting to me when I think about that. :)
I've realized that when I receive help I am so blessed by it. A perfect example of this happened just the other night. Our baby sitter, who is 13, is staying with us while her parents are out of town and she is a huge help! She's someone who just jumps in and lends a hand without you asking. A few nights ago Andy was attaching some DVD players in the car. A few minutes later my cell phone rang and it was Andy. He was calling me to tell me to hurry outside because he needed my help before he lost his patience. :) Well, I was in the middle of organizing Ellis' basket of clothes. I didn't want to stop in the middle of doing that, but I could tell by Andy's tone that he needed someone sooner than later. I asked our sitter if she would keep an eye on the kids and went to use all of my technological skills to come to the rescue. ;) Video players connected and ready, Andy and I headed back inside. I did not see our sitter and figured she had gone upstairs. I walked into our bedroom and found her sitting on the floor of our room surrounded by the stacks of Ellis' clothes that SHE had neatly organized for me. It was a moment where I immediately gave praise to God for the help and a moment where He opened my eyes to realize,
I don't have to do it all!
It doesn't have to be done my way.
I don't get an award for working hardest for the day.
Others are willing and able to help!
Being self dependent is draining and exhausting and quite honestly, lonely. It makes me think of how we are the body of Christ and we each have different gifts and I want to allow others to use their gifts and others to allow me to use mine. I desire community and in order to do that I need to open myself up to letting others walk along side me, especially in the busier seasons where I genuinely "need" others. I know God uses these moments to reveal more about myself, and for that I'm grateful. It once again reveals to me my deep need for Him. When I try to do things without Him I eventually crash. I need to come to Him to fill up in the morning, and as I am drained throughout the day, I need continued communication with Him to refill.
Last week I joined an on line bible study and as a part of this weeks homework they asked you to "Praise God for the good". There were several categories to get you started and I wanted to share part of my lists here in hopes that it might encourage you to begin your own list. I have so much to praise God for, but I often find myself more caught up in what's going wrong than in what's going right. As I began my lists it was just the perspective change that I needed. I realized that some days it's just a matter of how I look at things....
Things that are good about my relationship with the Lord
-He loves me no matter what
-He's always there for me
-He created me
Things good about my marriage
-Andy is supportive
-Andy is still the one I would choose
-I enjoy being with Andy
Things that are good about my kids
-They're fun!
-They're loving!
-They're cute! : )
Things that are good about my friends
-They are encouraging
-They care to listen and really know how I'm doing
-They're fun!
PRAISE GOD FOR THE GOOD!
PRAISE GOD FOR THE GOOD!
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