With wings like eagles

Usually, what gets written here is funny. I like to focus on humor, because as so many of you know, life is hard and you can either laugh or cry. Laughing is easier and much more fun. But lately, I haven't had lots to laugh about. With my husband traveling a lot for his work this summer, I've been a single-mom and life has been CRAZY!

With only one of me, and six of my children, it is very much like a six-on-one sports match. I'm definitely running my tail off. Too bad I'm not burning calaries like I would playing a sport all day. Instead, I'm tired at the end of the day! Many things remain unfinished, and things I thought had been completed often are not. Case in point; early one morning, my son's diaper leaked as I nursed him in bed. I pulled the sheets off and got them to the foot of Mt. Washmore in the laundry room then rushed off to fix breakfast and manage my home for the day. Some time after 10:00pm, it was bed time for the baby boy and I was ready to drop. But, I still had to make my bed! At least I had clean sheets (though the wet ones were still down at the foot of Mt. Washmore). When my son is grown, I'll have to pay for his counseling, but with no option other than to let him scream, I left him contained and put sheets on the bed.

The amazing thing I've discovered, though, is that God's promise in the Old Testament book of Isaiah (Isaiah 40:31; you can read it at http://http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/tools/printer-friendly.pl?book=Isa&chapter=40&version=ESV#31/) is true. He says that if I wait on Him, then I will run and not grow weary, I will walk and not faint. Now, I'm not running or walking in the literal sense, but I'm definitely running my feet off! And I'm tired, but not worn out. God is giving me the strength I need every day to keep going.

Some days have been more difficult than others. When my son woke up sick, the police chief of our little town called to ask me to pick up our dog from City Hall (yes, it is a small town, and the last time the police chief called about a dog, we got a $150 fine!), and the dishwasher quit all on the same day, it was really hard. When I got an early morning call from camp to let me know that my daughter was throwing up and needed to be picked up, my whole day was pretty much shot. But, life goes on, and I was not completely overwhelmed by it!

The other night, a few women had gathered in my living room to talk about the Psalms. Our focus for the evening was Psalm 59, which David (the second king of Israel) wrote after his father-in-law (the first king) sent men to his house to kill him. And you thought you had in-law trouble! David had a choice what he was going to focus on, and he focused on the God who created both him and his father-in-law, instead of just his father-in-law. When asked what lessons had been learned, one woman said, "The world won't stop for you, but God will." That made me stop and think! The world doesn't stop for me, even if my life is falling apart. But, the God who created me and the rest of the world DOES stop for me. He is concerned about what I'm concerned about. He knows my weaknesses and He helps me. He knows I am made of dust, and He treats me accordingly. It is a wonderful gift. You might say it keeps me going.