Day 256 A Little Slumber in Peace

Dear friends,

A rainy afternoon in summer is ripe with possibilities. For me, a lie down on the couch and a nap were in order. Fab Phyllis took me to The Country Trunk for lunch, and after a double yum experience I was up for a siesta. Plus I've been so tired lately and my machine was screaming for a shut down. The pitter pat of the rain was the perfect lullaby.

For many years, many many years, I was unable to sleep during the daytime. It is a testament to the delivering power of the Great One that I can take a nap now. After my mother became ill and was gone from my life at age 10, I lived rather chaotically, going from house to house, in a situation where I was very nervous much of the time. It's a long story, and it's another lifetime, but I bring it up to say that the aftermath left me far too anxious and riddled with a vague feeling of guilt to ever rest during the day. Laying down in the afternoon equaled lazy. Even when I was pregnant with my first 2 children I fought off the powerful exhaustion that would hit me in the afternoon. I would go to bed at 7pm, but avoid the afternoon nap. It may seem silly, but it was a stronghold in my life, an affliction in my psyche that I feared would always be with me.

And then, slowly, but surely, the Sweet Savior began to gently lead me "beside green pastures", and assured me that it was ok to rest. I remember the first time I took a nap, guilt free, when I was pregnant with David, and the gratitude I felt in my heart for my heavenly Father. There are wounds only He can heal. There are closets only He has access to. Now I can sleep soundly at any time of day. But it was not always so. More proof that God cares about the deep matters of the inner man that no one sees. May He be forever heralded as the One and Only!

So this assurance I have about my little Rejoice. And here I must be circumspect to protect her privacy. But I know that the events of November 8 have left their mark on her precious mind. And I also know the Great One will take her through that dark room when she is ready. She is my heart's delight, and a blessing to this world. Who knows what God will do in her matchless life? And who knows what color will be next for her hair...

It's Friday nite, and Joseph is out recording with his band. Most likely a movie this evening, or a couple of episodes of LOST. We're quite the exciting bunch around here. Stewarts ice cream is in the plan, so I'm a happy girl. I really am - a merry traveler on a dusty road, because the destination is beyond my very best dreams, and the highway is chuck full of people like you.

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann