reflection

this time last week...i had planned to unwrap my Tuesday. but that's not what went down.

last week, at this time exactly, my mom had sent me and my sister a text saying

"come to the hospital now"

when you get a text like that from a parent...it can seriously shake you to the core. my dad's health isn't the best, so i was just imagining the worst. after calling my boss to be relieved in my classroom....i made it to the hospital...all snotty nose and bloodshot eyes. as i walked through the metal detector, as the security guard looked at me like i was crazy, i sopped them up and held myself together...only to lose it not 3 minutes later when talking to my mom, and seeing my dad on the bed in the ER.

my friends are seriously the best. i know i brag about them from time to time on here, but when you have gifts from God like that....you need to acknowledge how thankful you are. i had friends texting and calling me all day long. one sweet friend, not knowing any of my family, came and sat with us in the hospital. a few of the student staff came....since my parents volunteer in the student ministry...to pray and be with us.

though things were scary, i know their prayers sustained my family and i. its a week later, my dad is now out of the hospital, recovering. God is good....isn't He?!

what you don't know about this story, is that God had prepared me that morning for what would happen. i have been reading Jesus Today by Sarah Young in the mornings to get me going. That particular day was all about trusting God. the last few sentences read:

"refuse to obsess about your problems, and how you are going to fix them. instead, affirm your trust in Me; wait hopefully in My Presence, and watch to see what I will do."

then i followed up by reading Micah 7:7 which reads "Therefore, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me."

before i even knew what would happen last Tuesday, He did. as i reflect on last Tuesday and today, i am thankful for God's Word. i am so thankful that He is continuously showing me His extreme goodness and faithfulness. that no matter what you're going through, He is prepared for it, even if you aren't. and He hears you, when you call. can i get an amen?

chaos

i am a teacher....of 10 two year old bundles of joy (and energy :)). my day usually consists of things like:

"please don't run in the class!!"

"we have to be nice and share with our friends."

"that toy is just pretend food....not real...please don't stick it in your mouth!"

really....i could go on for days. i really have a good class, but with this many, a lot of reminders have to be said....typical preschool.

nap time is treasured. i generally plan for the next day and get things ready. then i head to my favorite blogs and read up....soak in the words of Jesus. the words seem to soak into me like i'm a sponge. i read two things today, in particular, that touched my soul...deep down.

"I am eager to be your Refuge, and I am with you at all times." -Jesus Today by Sarah Young

and

"We have a God who can be trusted with not only our baggage, but ourselves. He sees and cares and notices. He will not come undone. He remains un-overwhelmable." -Emily Freeman

there are times in the middle of my mess, that i forget He is with me. i forget i am not alone. i forget that He sees those children running, and not sharing, and putting toys in their mouths, and is with me when i start to feel overwhelmed by it all.

in the midst of all that, i forget that He has given me a class that (for the most part) is obedient, and respects my authority, and LOVES to talk about Jesus. and to think that He wants to be my refuge, He cares, and He will never come undone...even when i do...that is my saving grace. such a beautiful reminder today...in the midst of my busy day....He's got this.



I'm linking up over at Emily Freeman's blog for Tuesday's Unwrapped! Won't you join?! (click the image to go to Emily's blog)