When did time start moving so quickly? and yet my days are long. And full. Like camp when days started early and ended late, bursting with activities and friendship and tears and laughter. Each individual day stretches out to infinity before me but weeks, months, years zoom past.
We just had a flurry of birthdays in our household. Trying to celebrate is kind of like reaching out to catch a speeding train as it moves out of the station. You are jerked off your feet and swept away, clinging to find balance. As mom, the responsibility lands firmly in my hands to coordinate, assemble, plan, invite, and all this on top of the usual spin cycle of laundry, dishes, gym time, play time, bath time, stories, breaking up fights, kissing injuries, nursing baby, feeding boys, school, work, and oh-was-that-due-today ?
The now-3-year-old was excited about his dirt cake and demolishing a pirate pinata with friends. Preparing food for adults and children was a challenge fairly successfully met and left me tired but pleased. Close on the heels of that was a fairly last minute birthday dinner for my husband and sister-in-law. The challenge there was avoiding trigger foods like dairy, gluten and red meat. So pesto chicken, green beans with bacon, and potatoes au gratin with goat cheese followed by GF peach berry crisp. Phew. The hope again is that the people we are celebrating are pleased with the effort to celebrate them. Were the parties perfect? by no means but this is when we hope effort counts. (I still need to get a card and write something significant and meaningful btw.)
"I came so that you may have life and have it to the full." (Jn 10:10) Life is certainly full. And chaotic, messier than we would hope and still beautiful. Beautiful in the life-giving, life-affirming sense, not in the Victoria's Secret Angels body, Martha Stewart picture perfect decor sense. "Greater love has no man than this,than that he lays down his life for his friends." (or for her family). Jesus came to give us an abundant life and we need His abundant grace to handle it the same way he did: laying down our lives for those we love. Is anything more important or beautiful or worthy?
