I sit here watching rain drop off the roof, while hacking up my lung. It’s been a week of ups and downs. A trip to the ER on Monday ends in a diagnosis of pneumonia. A week of downtime, while the chores stack up on us.
One small step is too far. But out the window in the distance are the mountains. A light fog hanging over them. God’s beauty at its best. Even a gray day can seem amazing.
Glass half full or glass half empty. Which do you pick?
Last night as we were discussing work ethics with our 15 year old, and taking a short trip down memory lane to support our narrative, it was easy to see all the different paths that made up our life. A rollercoaster of choices that ended in today. I am sure you could reflect on your life and see the same rollercoaster.
Each choice is a milepost. A direction marker of the way we came. Rarely are we offered the opportunity to go back down that same road. Even rarer are the chances to make the choice again.
While it’s been a rollercoaster that I definitely have wanted off at times, I can see the Lord’s hand in our lives. A difficult time turns into something amazing. It might be hard in the moment, but the outcome is worth it.
The birth of a child. Purchasing a home. The long climb to homesteading and preparedness that never ends. Animals, gardening, jobs, schooling. Pick any one task and it can be easy and hard at the same time.
A friend of ours tells me his favorite time is his homesteading chores. When I asked him why, he replied simply: “That’s my time to reflect on how things are going, and converse with the Lord”
Quite an enlightened way to think about it. The most arduous chores become a time of joy.
As parents we often have to take this approach. When we want to pull our hair out the most is when are children are driving us crazy. But would we really trade all the tender moments to avoid the pain?
Reflection is a tool. And so is our faith. By making good use of both we can overcome any trial with a smile. Or at least head down and push through.