Like most people around the world that have children, their lives can sometimes be over run with just trying to keep up with all of our daily task that demand our attention. I sometimes find the task of keeping everyone fed (especially if you have one or more children in the middle of a growth spurt), staying on top of the laundry (getting the clothes folded before they become too wrinkled), and making sure school work is not forgotten can sometimes overwhelm me before getting out of bed. And then there always seems to be that invisible list of things that I can make in my mind of all those little things that need to be done each day or I feel like I am falling behind. I am sure that there have been many days when God would just shake his head at me and say, "If you would just take a moment and slow down, and allow Me to write out your list your day would be a whole lot better and more manageable."
So I have found myself learning step by step to slow down and have those still small moments with God everyday before I start to make my daily list. I am not saying that it is an easy thing to do everyday yet but I am finding myself yearning now for those moments alone with my Lord. And sometimes words can not express how FAITHFUL our Lord can be when we pause and take time with Him. Now when I say faithful I don't mean that my life has all of a sudden become easy but He is teaching me that I can find thankfulness during the hard times, during the stressful moments, during the confusion and hurtful times there is always something to be thankful for.
So as our family has spent the last few weeks finalizing our stuff and putting it into a sea container (which is now on its way to our new home). I was trying to remember to be thankful for all the amazing places I have gotten to live in and the people who have touched my life. It did not make packing in the heat any easier but I was able to rejoice in the fact that God has never taken us to a place that He has already not gone ahead of us to. I think of Greg and the guys in the hanger who have a few planes down with some serious maintenance problems. And they are struggling to find the parts and figure out the best and safest ways to fix them for they understand how much these planes mean to the people here. Our God is faithful and will provide down to the last bolt or screw we just have to be patient and wait sometimes. And even as I write this we have three people (myself included) down with a flu bug that is pretty nasty. However, I am thankful for the rest that I am getting and for those moments when my kids come for a cuddle or two.
As the Christmas season is upon us all remember to be thankful for those daily blessing that God is putting at our feet. My prayer for myself, my family, and for you all is that God will continue to remind us to slow down so that we can see and feel what HE is trying to give us through out the day.
Julie
