Fun Times!

My roommate from college, Melissa Millikan Bell came to visit me this weekend. Melissa and I have kept up through the years, but not well enough at all. She and I are on different pages in our lives. She is married. I am no longer. I have children and she wants none. She loves her career and pours herself into it. I wish more than anything that I could stay home full-time. I am not career-minded in the same way. However, all of that said we have the most important thing in common. We both love the Lord Jesus and are sinners saved by His amazing grace. That is really all that matters. Our conversations this weekend were centered around Him and what He is doing through us during this season. We're both being molded by His loving hand and sometimes that can be bruising and painful. But we reminded each other of the love from the Father that goes behind each stroke of sculpting, each brush of change He makes in us. Uncomfortable, yet so necessary and worth it in the end.

Mel arrived on Friday night and we stayed up too late chatting. The next morning we rose early for B's soccer game. Chris came bearing Starbucks for Mel, myself and the kids. A nice gesture on his part. I think seeing Chris was hard for Mel. No one is sure what to say or how to act. We all feel the same. We want to "shake him till his teeth rattle" as Mrs. Judy says, but we want him to know how much he is loved and prayed for right now as well. It's tricky. But it all went fine. We came home and let the kids play while we got to work. Chris let me borrow the drill, but he had some weird attachment on there that I didn't know how to change out. I started to freak out and think...once again (when will I learn, right?) "I can't do this! I can't live alone! I need a man to help me! I need someone to be here to use this drill for me! AHHH!" Mel told me to calm down and reminded me that us women have an advantage over men. We are willing to read the directions! So we did and within 30 seconds we had the drill ready to go. May I say, if you are feeling down or blue, I suggest using a power tool. It is quite invigorating! I put screws into anything and everything in my house that looked like it needed one! But really, we hung multiple things that were waiting to put up and it felt so good! Next, we organized my garage a little, cleaned several pieces of wood furniture in the house, planted some things in pots on the front porch (one of Mel's great talents is "yardening" as she calls it). Getting my home set up post-Chris has been so therapeutic. Saturday night Kat (Kathryn Byrun Sowell) came over bearing chocolate. We all had a great time chatting. The next morning Mel came with us to church and it was a blessing to have her there to meet my "family." Thank you Mel for your help and your love, your prayers and for driving so far to come see me...not to mention all the goodies you brought me (especially the Ting Ting!).

Honestly though, the last week or so I have felt so normal. I never expected to feel this "okay" so quickly. Maybe it's just a temporary state and I'm going to fall apart in one hour, I don't know. But I really feel so functional. Not a whole lot of tears lately. It's just kind of life. And life is good now. The valley is a safe place to be. You're surrounded and engulfed by the Lord and in the hollow of His blessed hand. And if I remember Isaiah 26:3, then I am fine..."You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Simple. Not always easy, but simple. Keep my eyes on Him, not on this world. Not on the wind or the waves or the problems at hand and certainly not down the road (why is that so hard?). Only on Him.

I pray you will keep your eyes on Him today too. I hope we all can learn to trust Him wholly, so we will find Him wholly true!