Under Pressure

My husband and I feel like we're in a bit of a pressure cooker right now. Sick kids, financial pressures, marital conflict, ever increasing responsibilities to name of few of the pressures in this season of our lives. Many times, admittedly, I have been guilty of questioning God's goodness or even accusing Him of being a liar. 'Tis a fearful thing to see that statement in black and white for anyone who knows and loves God. But, my heart hardens quickly; I am a modern day Israelite, prone to wander. Nevertheless, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies, they never come to an end, and so by God's grace, I press on, confess sin, receive forgiveness, and continue to live in His truth and love.

I remember something my Sr. Pastor said once about the mark of a true believer. It was something like, "it is not the one who never falls, but the one who falls and gets back up again." Well, I am certainly scraped up and bruised from many falls, but my merciful God applies His healing balm of forgiveness again and again and again to me.

More recently, my prayer has been for God to open my eyes or just get them to look in the right direction to see all the ways He is pouring out His mercy and kindness to me and my family and even to fellow believers around me who are also walking through their own seasons of pressure and hardship. This morning as I cleaned up pee and poopie from the kitchen floor (*no, I'm not potty training my 15 month old twins yet; I'm not that crazy. Tucker was going "free" due to some severe diaper rash), I recalled our wonderful family time we had yesterday afternoon.

Somehow in the midst of snotty noses, nebulizer treatments, Judah's blistered and bruised face, Tucker's diarrhea, and an expensive car repair, we were able to get out for a walk in the woods, wheeling the boys over a blanket of dried leaves, and spend a little time together as a family. The boys had their first "romp" in piles of dried leaves. It really was more like clinging onto daddy while mommy got a few shots for Grandma's scrapbook. It was a delightful time together, and I was reminded that the Lord loves to lavish these blessings on me all the time. I just need Him to open my eyes to see all the ways He is being merciful and kind to me.