Life Happens!

Here I sit!

The world is sleeping, and I am wide awake!

This is not a usual dilemma for me. I do have a "hectic" mind at times that keeps me from easily falling to sleep like that wonderful guy of mine! :-) But, I can generally fall asleep without much ado. Not tonight, and.....come to think of it, not last night either....

So here I sit.....

I decided to get up because I couldn't get comfortable and sleepy in bed and I went downstairs to the living room. As I sit here just meditating on my week so far, and my past several weeks for that matter, I guess I can see that there could be reason for me to have a lot on my mind. This week in particular has been one of THOSE weeks!  It started with a bang and has ramped up to be a busy one. Have you ever had one of THOSE weeks? Maybe you're even having one now!  Don't get me wrong, nothing bad or majorly traumatic has happened, just life. Life happens when we're not looking (and sometimes when we are) and we find ourselves wondering, pondering, and sometimes sleepless. This week was going to be an easy one, my menu was planned, the shopping was done, my calendar was up to date, and then LIFE happened!

My oldest daughter moved out on Sunday. We really didn't have enough of a heads up to prep ourselves for it or to plan a little send off, but she is old enough move out, so no drama transpired because of the event. She told us about an opportunity to move in with friends, and then because the next day was a workday decided that to move out Sunday afternoon would make the most sense. So we found ourselves helping her pack and move out, then BANG! she was gone. Even though she is an adult I still find myself still wondering these types of things: Did she wake up on time? It's cold outside, does she have gloves? I wonder if she packed her lunch today?  Is she in bed? Will she get enough sleep?  Etc. The list goes on and on. Those of you that have lived through this portion of life before may understand what I'm talking about. It is hard. Not necessarily bad, just hard. Growing up and moving out is a part of life. It is really what we have been prepping our kids for their entire life. Every chore, every instruction, every life lesson, every bit of what we have spent their entire life pouring into them was designed for the moment that we are no longer the voice in their ears, and have shifted to the voice in their head.

Then, her sisters started back to school, and all the thoughts and planning that goes with being a homeschool mom. Not to mention meetings, phone calls, classes, prep for Co-op, and on.....and on.....and so.......here I sit with my Bible in my lap seeking words that will bring stillness to my soul, peace to my mind, and rest for my body.

As I was flipping through my Bible, I came across the verse James 4:8. At the beginning of that verse it says "Come close to God and He will come close to you." That is exciting! I am so thankful that my God is One who loves to be close to us, and know how we're feeling. God isn't mysteriously hiding from us, and He doesn't stay just out of our reach. No, He is a God that desires to pull us into His lap and remind us of how precious we are to Him! He loves it when we talk to Him about our day, whether it was a great day.....or one of THOSE days! :-) 

Have you ever been packed on a bus, or in a theatre, or in a football stadium and been close to some people? I have! God wants us to come close like that. That doesn't mean yelling distance, it means all up in each other's space! It means you are close enough that you can talk quietly with each other and catch up on news. God wants us to come close!When my girls were little and they wanted to be close, I would pull them up in my lap and snuggle them tight. That is what God desires......to be close enough to us to love on us!

So on this sleepless night, early morning, I choose to come close to God. I choose to lay all these events of life that weigh on my mind and slow me down at His feet. I choose to climb up in His lap and snuggle up tight, and rest in the peace that He gives. It's for all of us. So if you find yourself with a lot of things on your mind. Come close to God, He is waiting for you! His love will provide stillness for your soul, peace for your mind, and rest for your body! :-)

Goodnight!