As many have noted, it’s been an awful week in Texas.
Please continue to pray for those without water or heat or a place to stay warm and dry. Donate what you can, help where you can.
Interestingly enough, this week was so bleh it almost had me forget that there is still a pandemic going on.
Last Friday, as my boys got in the car and removed their masks, my oldest commented “Mom, I love the weekends at home because I don’t have to wear a mask.” They also had a rousing chorus of “stupid virus” flow though their conversations all the way home. Sometimes I forget how much this is affecting them too. They just seem to take everything in stride.
I’ve had to explain some things to them this week – words and phrases like power outages, water shortages, boil notices. I’ve wondered what gaining that knowledge does to their youth – does it introduce worry that wasn’t there before? Still it’s important they know what’s going on or get their hands questions answered in words they can understand.
Last night, when my husband came home, we went to a hill a mile from our house to do some sledding. I wasn’t exactly in the mood to layer up and get in the car. But we went. And I’m glad we did.
The twins enjoyed sledding down the hill over and over again while my oldest enjoyed throwing snowballs at them. I even took a turn in the sled. We didn’t stay long, but the moment lit up the whole day.
Wherever you are, something is probably going on right now that can take your joy away. Something is happening that is making you (as I joked to a friend this week) prematurely age and lose a bit more of the innocence and excitement of youth that we desperately want to hold onto.
Don’t let it – Don’t let whatever’s happening in your life right now rob you of all the joy and excitement and gratitude you have left. If there is a moment to get your adult body to sit down on a child size sled and rocket down a hill –
do it. Let joy win. Everything else has been winning far too much this year.
My prayer for you and me today is for opportunities for joy and light and laughter to fill up our tanks. May we be able to recognize those moments when they occur and lean into them.
