Yesterday was bad. I wasn’t a blubbering mess all day, but being together just with my husband and kids (which hasn’t happened in over two weeks) was difficult. Everyone in my family is going to grieve differently and we were seeing all kinds of grief. Anger, irritability, crying at what appears to be nothing, general grumpiness. For me I was just tired all the way down to the marrow in my bones.
First of all- church. I will never miss church again unless there is a typhoon, hurricane, or 7 feet of snow. However getting my children ready is like running a marathon. OK, a short one but its a short uphill one. They don’t know what to wear. They don’t want to wear what I pick out. Someone forgot to shower….hmm how can we cover that one up. Where’s the other sock. I lost my coat. I don’t want to go. Then everyone is finally in the car and I can’t find my purse, I need a waterbottle, and a safety pin. With all the mounds of junk in the house I can’t find one safety pin. Getting ready for church is a less than desirable activity.
So we finally make it to church, and of course that is awesome. I feel the word to every song like its beating in my heart. One song about Jesus laying down his life almost broke me down but my friend Steph was there to hold me hand. The preaching is always so spot on. Jeff Manion is a superstar preacher. In his humble, gentle way he weaves an intricate tapestry of God’s word and our lives in a way that makes it feel like he is speaking only to you. If you are not feeling as inspired maybe you should try Ada Bible. It leaves me in awe every time. Like a laser pointer of God’s grace and love and mercy is pointing right at my life.
So after getting lunch in the bellies of four cantankerous children my husband said “we are going to go to the gym.” I could have said no but I didn’t want to. I knew he needed me to help the kids get ready for swimming, Well mostly he wanted me to work out. Ugggggghhhhhhhhhhhh. NOOOOOOOOO. So after he got them in the pool, instead of heading to the elliptical I decided spur of the moment to go in the hot tub.
That was a very good decision. It felt like the jets and hot water were just soothing away all the pain. Then someone next to me, a Mom and daughter started talking about basketball. Lucas had played some basketball until his head injury (a MRSA infection,he had to have blood clot removed, had skull removed then put back) when he was ten. Then he played one season last year. He tried out for FHC’s team and made it but ultimately decided not to play because he wanted to focus on academics. It was a struggle for him to maintain his grades the last couple of years because he was having memory and focus problems most likely from the previous infection.
So as this Mom and daughter are talking and sitting in the hot tub, it feels so healing but tears are starting to stream down my face. Then I hear her say something about a game for Lucas. I immediately sit up, open my eyes and say ‘that’s my son!”
Then I learned who the daughter was. It was Annalee Konsoer-Rose. I am sure many of you have heard of her. She is a FHE senior and outstanding basketball player who has been battling a spinal cyst. After talking with her for minutes I knew she was an old soul like Lucas. She has that heart for others. She had heard of Lucas and immediately felt a connection. She was trying to come up with something to do to honor him at her school. She offered to distribute the Live Like Lucas bracelets. I was so blessed to have spoken to her. I knew immediately God has sent us to the same place at the same time. As we were talking in the hot tub and I was telling her more about Lucas’ life and what kind of kid he was, everyone in the hot tub started crying. I told them about my blog. God touched other lives and I was encouraged by a simple hot tub visit.
So my bad day wasn’t so bad after all. Its just getting through those tough moments. Its about building up the resolve and determination to carry on. Beautiful things will happen.
I think of my road as rocky, thorny, sometimes smooth and sometimes quicksand. Uphill and downhill. Jesus does not promise it will be easy. He promises he will hold my hand, guide me, and light the way.
As David says in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
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