Here we go again

He hates it that I make him do this. But I'm his wife. And so I must. He turned around and gave me a brief smile that lasted all of 0.6 seconds before he did what he was really wanting to do which was head for the hills. Or to class.

This week is back-to-school week at the Crozier household! While so many around us are celebrating graduations and welcoming summer vacation, we're hunkering down for what is looking to be the busiest year of our lives thus far. Truth be told, I'm NOT looking forward to it, but I've been working on my attitude and am trying to no longer refer to it as "The Year of Dread." A good friend reminded me a while back to take things one day at a time and those word have stuck with me and I'm trying to apply them!
We've had what I can only summarize as a crazily chaotic week and I can't help but think God is working to teach us to hold things loosely. Isla sat in my dresser drawer and it broke. Graham went to hang his new strand of outdoor lights (a Father's Day gift) and they slipped and shattered on the patio. One of the legs on our chairs snapped. And the toilet won't stop running. Small things when you look at the big picture, but hiccups nonetheless. It has felt a bit like I'm moving in slow motion, working really hard all day only to collapse at the end wondering Did I get anything done today? and Did I even play with my kids?

Graham got the big blow at work on Tuesday when he was told his work schedule is changing completely. He'll be back to working every other weekend which means lots of adjustments for our family. It was more or less inevitable but unwelcome all the same. So again, I think we're being stretched to hold everything in our lives with an open palm. To cherish the blessings while we have them, and then let them go when it's time to move on. It's making me realize how incredibly much I take fore granted. Like drawers that open and shut! And chair legs that remain attached when you use them... I won't be able to take any of that with me when I die though so I really want to learn to keep my hands open. Interestingly enough, my pastor just blogged on this very thing today and you can read about it here.

My favorite quote is this one:

"The truth that we need to live into over and over again in our lives is this: empty hands will be filled with God’s blessing, which we can than empty again as we share those blessings, and in the emptiness of our hands, we’re given still more – it happens over and over again and will continue to happen until the day we close our fist around some particular blessing and say “mine”, say, “only when you pry it from my cold dead hand”. When that day comes you can kiss joy, and lightness, liberty and fruitfulness goodbye."

What a good word that spoke to me today!