Reason #136
I keep thinking it is Saturday. Oh, how I wish it was! But, on the bright side, tomorrow is Tuesday which means it's another short work week.
Today is Memorial Day. A day off from work. A day to celebrate. A day to be thankful. A day to honor. A day to remember. And so my Memorial Day has been quite memorable. In fact, the past 5 days have been so good that I am having a hard time getting myself to bed so that I can go to work tomorrow. But I know at 6:30AM my alarm will go off, and I'll hit snooze for a good 30 minutes all the while wishing I would have gone to bed earlier.
My family gathered for the first official summer cook-out tonight, and it was wild. A good wild. A loud and lively bunch we are. And we ate and ate and ate some more. Just when we thought we couldn't take another bite, out came the homemade ice cream and everyone managed to make room for a bowl. And so I sat in a room of people I love so dearly just soaking up their company. We ranged from 4 to 80-something (I try to be careful when guessing ages) and the laughter was contagious. We told stories, we caught up on one another's lives, we watched the little ones run Scout ragged, and we all shared a common unspoken bond. An unshakeable bond of love that runs deep.
Family. What a blessing they are. I share DNA with this bunch, and that's not the only thing. A rich heritage has been established, and I'm so grateful to be a branch on such an incredible family tree. And the thing about family is that they pay attention. They notice what's going on and they care, too. They are reliable and they always have your back. And as I sat and watched them interact, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. My family has diligently prayed for me. They have walked through every mountain and valley with me. They've listened to many tearful conversations, given much wisdom and advice, taken interest in the events that have transpired in my life, hugged me close, kissed me often, stepped in when needed and have stood and cheered me on.
We are fortunate to have family gatherings quite often, but tonight was different than many of the others. Tonight, I realized how much of this journey they have walked with me. See, I tend to forget that I wasn't the only one impacted, and I wasn't the only one whose life was changed. It's easy for me to think that this was only hard on me, but that's not the case. All of our lives changed. And through it all, God has taught us, bonded us, challenged us and deepend those roots of love. I forget that I wasn't the only one who cried tears. I wasn't the only one who questioned. I wasn't the only one who wondered. But these people, they are strong people. And although a wind blew against our little family tree, we hung on. The branches swayed and we were all challenged. Many of us were pruned, too. Some of us were pruned at a different time but we've all faced it. And so, I looked at these branches tonight and I saw an incredible thing. For beauty has most definitely grown from the cuts that have been made. And we are a family of stories. Each one of us has a story to tell, but we are all attached to a strong trunk who has held us in tact over many generations, and it is very evident. A tree with roots that run deep. Roots that have withstood with forces of nature, that have kept this tree grounded, productive and flourishing.
And so I praised the Lord for them. For each little branch is beautiful. Each little branch is necessary. Together, we make up something mighty and lovely. And I thank the Lord for being the center of it all. For holding us together. For watering us, pruning us, and placing each one of us on the same tree.
#136 - Because He has let me be a branch on an incredible family tree!
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” - Jeremiah 17:7-8
Today is Memorial Day. A day off from work. A day to celebrate. A day to be thankful. A day to honor. A day to remember. And so my Memorial Day has been quite memorable. In fact, the past 5 days have been so good that I am having a hard time getting myself to bed so that I can go to work tomorrow. But I know at 6:30AM my alarm will go off, and I'll hit snooze for a good 30 minutes all the while wishing I would have gone to bed earlier.
My family gathered for the first official summer cook-out tonight, and it was wild. A good wild. A loud and lively bunch we are. And we ate and ate and ate some more. Just when we thought we couldn't take another bite, out came the homemade ice cream and everyone managed to make room for a bowl. And so I sat in a room of people I love so dearly just soaking up their company. We ranged from 4 to 80-something (I try to be careful when guessing ages) and the laughter was contagious. We told stories, we caught up on one another's lives, we watched the little ones run Scout ragged, and we all shared a common unspoken bond. An unshakeable bond of love that runs deep.
Family. What a blessing they are. I share DNA with this bunch, and that's not the only thing. A rich heritage has been established, and I'm so grateful to be a branch on such an incredible family tree. And the thing about family is that they pay attention. They notice what's going on and they care, too. They are reliable and they always have your back. And as I sat and watched them interact, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. My family has diligently prayed for me. They have walked through every mountain and valley with me. They've listened to many tearful conversations, given much wisdom and advice, taken interest in the events that have transpired in my life, hugged me close, kissed me often, stepped in when needed and have stood and cheered me on.
We are fortunate to have family gatherings quite often, but tonight was different than many of the others. Tonight, I realized how much of this journey they have walked with me. See, I tend to forget that I wasn't the only one impacted, and I wasn't the only one whose life was changed. It's easy for me to think that this was only hard on me, but that's not the case. All of our lives changed. And through it all, God has taught us, bonded us, challenged us and deepend those roots of love. I forget that I wasn't the only one who cried tears. I wasn't the only one who questioned. I wasn't the only one who wondered. But these people, they are strong people. And although a wind blew against our little family tree, we hung on. The branches swayed and we were all challenged. Many of us were pruned, too. Some of us were pruned at a different time but we've all faced it. And so, I looked at these branches tonight and I saw an incredible thing. For beauty has most definitely grown from the cuts that have been made. And we are a family of stories. Each one of us has a story to tell, but we are all attached to a strong trunk who has held us in tact over many generations, and it is very evident. A tree with roots that run deep. Roots that have withstood with forces of nature, that have kept this tree grounded, productive and flourishing.
And so I praised the Lord for them. For each little branch is beautiful. Each little branch is necessary. Together, we make up something mighty and lovely. And I thank the Lord for being the center of it all. For holding us together. For watering us, pruning us, and placing each one of us on the same tree.
#136 - Because He has let me be a branch on an incredible family tree!
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” - Jeremiah 17:7-8