…even on a sick day

This week, the kids and I took some time to rest. We brought school with us on our trip back East and we worked each day. Let me tell you how crazy we must’ve appeared with me teaching in the middle of the Dallas airport. Ha.

Once we got home, we…I, realized we needed some time to rest. When I worked at the church, our pastor, my boss, would often remind us you work best from rest. I read an awesome book, highly recommended by two women I greatly admire, about teaching from REST. So, when I realized that the kids were tired and I was tired and no one was learning much of anything, I made the executive decision to have a restful school week. We did science experiments, we read partner plays, we wrote short stories, we went on a nature scavenger hunt and we PLAYED! We played inside and outside. We used sidewalk chalk to learn phonics blends and spelling words and we explored. And we took naps and we watched Magic School Bus episodes that matched whatever science lesson we were working on for the day. We just had fun and we rested…

…until Thursday. Thursday, the enemy came calling and he was determined to ruin our week of rest. Thursday mid-day, I spiked a fever. By Thursday evening, Mouse had a tummy ache and Little Man was refusing to eat. Fast forward to Friday morning, I’ve been up all night with fever and chills, Mouse wakes up vomiting and Little
Man wakes up covered in vomit from sometime in the night. J had left early for an out of town conference. It was not a pretty picture at our house. So-I did the only thing I knew to do…Sissy and I circled up and prayed. We prayed for healing and wholeness…and no more vomit.

And there was none…

By mid-day, all was well. I chalked up the one episode of vomit per kid to something they ate and moved on…

We’d made plans to attend our friends baseball game that evening in Farmington. It was a bit of a drive but we were excited to visit and the kids were excited to watch JayBoy play. So, off we went….

The enemy wasn’t done though. On our way home, I started to feel bad. Terrible, really. By the time we got home, I knew I was sick and was up all night with an upset stomach.

Here’s the hitch, J was leaving at 6:30 to go on a trail ride with the senior class…

Weariness…remember, that’s where the enemy gets me. As I lay in bed Saturday morning, husband off riding horses (with my blessing because self-care is paramount), I made a conscious choice that he wouldn’t get me. I made a choice that he wouldn’t win the day, that my Father would…so, I prayed.

My stomach didn’t magically improve…my kids were gracious to their mama, though. When I told them my tummy was very sick and I needed lots of help while J was gone…there were no fits…
It was a beautiful, 65 degree day…warm enough the girls could play outside with friends. Little Man was content to snuggle on the couch and watch movies…you see, God doesn’t answer the way we want but he ALWAYS answers. My stomach still isn’t quite right but my day was exactly right. There was grace. Enough for the day. Enough for today and the beauty is there will be enough for tomorrow, too.

I, we, have learned so much about God’s timing and grace and prayers since moving here. We have learned what a need we have for prayer…because when you’re in a literal desert, prayer is all you have at your disposal. We have learned and seen first hand that His ways are higher, better, more real than anything we could ask or imagine. We live, day in and day out, in a state of grace. There has to be grace…and as a Mama, I admit, my grace can run really short some days. His doesn’t, though. My Heavenly Father’s grace comes endlessly. And, that’s what made yesterday so right. His grace.

See, there’s something the enemy doesn’t have and that’s grace. The enemy’s fortitude has nothing on my King. He can not and will not be defeated because He’s already won! His grace is sovereign…how awesome is that?

So, friends, I was reminded yesterday of the beauty of His answer and not mine. I was reminded that when my grace falls short, His does not. I was reminded that His grace is enough for me…even on a sick day.