A Week Apart

Last week Jim and James are able to go with others in our church to Utah to serve out there. It was challenging to let the two of them go and to be home with the eight other kids without them, but, as is always the case when following God, it was good.

Now, when I say good I do not mean easy! In fact, it was a very challenging me! The morning they left was amazing and I was so excited for the week, but within an hour of Jim telling me they had landed in Utah, our 5 year old decided to test his strength on a window and gashed his arm deeply! Thankfully, my parents were here and we were able to get help quickly but it still required a trip to the emergency room  stitches and involved lots of blood and pain!

In case you are wondering, no one wants these things and especially not to start a week away from your husband!

But, as with everything, God used it to grow and stretch me this week. I now had an injured child to take care of on top of all the other normal responsibilities, including feeding a baby around the clock. This stretched all of us. I got to put my nursing skills to good work as I bandaged and monitored Sam's healing. I sacrificed my alone bed to let him stay with me so I could monitor him. Sam sleeps like a fish out of water!!!

We had a pool party for the kindergartners at Smyrna First Baptist on Friday, which Sam could not swim at anymore. This stretched him and me as he could sit on the side but not get his arm wet. Throughout I was telling him about the consequences of sin and having to deal with the choices we make. It was a great time of fellowship, but also challenging.

During the week there were many small incidences as there are every week. I by the end I was wondering what was real and what was fake with Sam. How quickly he figured out how to manipulate and I had to use wisdom to assess every situation.

On the way to the pool party, a foolish driver almost hit us head on! That was terrifying! But God's amazing grace and mercy allowed me to see the foolishness and stop the van before they hit us.

Ali reminded me that when our husbands away we are more vulnerable to the attacks of Satan, and was she ever right! And thankfully God kept me aware of these little attacks and helped me to face the little incidences well.

But today I realized there was one attack I didn't see. With Jim gone and having to keep a close eye on Sam, I fell back into laziness. God has been working on my heart so much in this area, giving me the desire to work hard for Him in all areas. But I used the circumstances to do what I wanted or really to do nothing whenever I could.

How quickly we fall back into old habits when we have our eyes on our circumstances instead of on God!

Yes there was a lot going on and a lot that needed my attention with only one adult in the house. But I forgot God had it all under control and nothing surprised Him. I took it easy, allowed way too many movies and slept far too much. I trolled online entities and allowed myself to get caught up in moments instead of sticking to our normal rhythms as closely as I could.

This week taught me a lot! And God in His mercy revealed my sin so I could repent and turn.

Today has been much better and I've done what God has asked me to do. Perfectly? NO! But I'm moving back in the right direction.

That's the mercy of God! A week apart from my husband and my oldest to show me how much more I have to learn and how to spot even more of my weaknesses!

God uses everything!