Day 217 With God in the Busy

Dear friends,

Miss Rejoice had a friend from high school over this evening. I recalled the first day I took her back to school for the first time after the accident and explained to the kids in her 2 favorite classes what had happened to her and her dad, and how they (her classmates) now had living proof of the devastation of driving drunk. The kids at Columbia have been really good to Hannah. They have cheered her through and treated her like the other kids, which is very important to her. I'm so very proud of my baby girl, dealing with all the stuff of being 15 along with a super trauma that no one could have predicted. It hasn't been a neat, clean, storybook, "everything is just ducky" walk, but it has been drenched in grace. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" I say this verse for my precious daughter. I'm still holding on for "double for her trouble". Darn tootin'.

We did the "East Greenbush" thing tonite and went to Lickety Split for our traditional last-day-of-school ice cream. Joe and Hannah still have Regents in front of them, but regular school is officially over. Alas, David has to go on with his sorrow until next week...you know, school olympics day, and parties and The Great Escape. I don't remember any of this from MY childhood. What is up with all this fun?

I put a scripture in front of my face today, to keep the main thing the main thing during this loaded month of activities. To really enjoy life, the inside of us needs companionship with God, and all the peace and grace that comes along with that. Which is why the busier I am, the more I need time with the Great One, and why I post all these bible verses all over the place, lest I forget who I truly am and why I'm here. Lest I get swept up in the madness of what is supposed to be fun, without any true enjoyment because my insides are empty. I've been there, friends. More than I'd like to confess. But confession is good, and besides, you'de find out anyway. I'm not exactly a closed book.

Do whatever you need to do to have "the life that is truly life". No amount of running around, no vacation, no material blessing, not even any earthly relationship has the savor it was meant to have without the Savior in first place. It's like that demonstration you see, where there are a bunch of little balls and some big ones. If you put the little balls in the glass jar first, there's no room for the big ones. But put those big boys in first, and all the little ones find room around them. Not a perfect picture, because the idea isn't to squeeze as many things as are humanly possible into the fabric of life. Still, the point is there. First things first. But I'm starting to sound a little 12 step, so I think it's time to retire...

Here's another quote by G.K. Chesterton that bears some thought:

"A man cannot think to little of his self, or too much of his soul."

Thank God for the wisdom of folks through the ages. They, like we, learned from failure. Lord, help us remember the value of our souls!

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann