A Week Gone By

I'm sitting down for what feels like the first time in a week. I don't mean the actual posture of sitting. I have sat at dinner and at baseball and at church and in the car....I just haven't SAT. I have hardly turned on my computer all week. I am studiously ignoring the thick, blanket-like layer of dust throughout my house, and carefully not thinking of all the health reasons I've learned to keep the amount of dust under control. If you're not into dusting, you really don't want to know all the reasons you should dust. Ignorance is bliss.

The theme of the week was baseball, and let me tell you something shocking--this girl is starting to GET the game of baseball. I know, I know. Weird. But it's happening. I watched Joseph's scrimmage, a Rockies game, and two of Joseph's games. Please read that previous sentence again and notice the verb. I "watched". I didn't say, I "attended". No sir. I "watched". I really did. I knew the pitch count. I knew when they should steal. I was cheering on dropped third strikes. I was mopping up the blood pouring out of Joseph's nose when he got hit with a bad bounce on a grounder. Yes sirree. I might be starting to like baseball (minus the blood). Gasp. I'm still a bit confused on the white pants choice for baseball. They look so good, but behind every gleaming pair of white pants out there is a parent who put a lot of time into taking care of the dirt, grass, and in our case, blood, from the prior game.

Although there were some parts of the week that were less than idyllic, I am able to sit here, processing it all, and being thankful for some pretty amazing stuff this week. I am so humbled at the way God has provided for us to bless our kids and the way he blesses us.
-3 of the 4 Rockies tickets were free.
-The dinner downtown we planned to congratulate them on a school year well-done ended up with their dinners being $2 apiece--$2 for a full plate of Mongolian grill.
-We were given a summer pool pass.
-Joseph was riding a bike small enough for his brother and through gifts, he is now riding a bike his own size.
-The boys were given an absolutely amazing set of Legos.
-I have been feeling well enough to be consistently available for their bedtime for a good stretch of time now.
-They got extra time with their dad this week because he was able to take a few days off.
-I've gotten to see my mom, my mom-in-law, and my dad-in-law all in the same week.
-My mom bought me a new purse and new shirt, and my in-laws bought us a yummy dinner.

Sometimes, I hesitate to share "blessing" lists because I know that hollow feeling of hearing other people's "blessings" on a day when I am struggling to see light or feel the nearness of God. But I have to be honest. In a week where I was dealing with some of the usual health stuff, a situation of hurt feelings, some deep weight about several different friends and their struggles, some fear, and some discouragement, I needed to stop and see how God was showing me His goodness in the land of the living. I have another blessing list too and it's a weird one. It's the list of weakness, loss, grief, failure, uncertainty, and pain. And, yes, it's my blessing list also. It's because those are the places where I learn more about the nearness and completeness and tenderness of God. Those are the places where I learn to walk with God and to cling to him. Those are the places that make me more aware of things like cheap dinners and gifts and Legos and times when it's all OK.

And now for an odd turn of topic....

Today, I saw the coolest thing. It was a total "Planet Earth" moment. (You should watch Planet Earth if you haven't. It's 550 minutes, but wow. Double wow.) Anyway, I had a car full of boys and we watched a hawk dive and then ascend again. We realized there was a really long wiggly thing dangling from its talons. It caught a snake right near our car! We watched the hawk land on top of a phone pole, and as we drove past and I struggled not to drive off the road from distraction, we could actually see the snake dangling down the side of the pole. Go hawk! Catch all you can. Feast. Stuff yourself. Go back for more. Store some for a rainy day. Catch some for your friends. I like what you're doing out there. Excellent work today.

And for another odd turn of topic....

Sadly, due to the low-quality swimsuits I apparently buy, this next week holds a swimsuit shopping expedition. Two suits died in one week. You know that weird noise that swimsuits make when their elastic stretches and then disintegrates? Well, I do. Two suits--dead in a week. Suits should cling, not float. I really, truly, deeply, sincerely, wholeheartedly, fully despise swimsuit shopping. I'm not overly fond of swimsuit wearing either, but shopping is actually worse.

And so, another week has gone by. You know I'm one week closer to seeing Jesus, right? How about you?