Best Seat in the House

This afternoon I am enjoying a teensy bit of R&R on my front porch swing, which in my humble opinion is the best seat in our house. In between last sentence and this one, my little guy has joined me. Now I will need to rephrase the first sentence. Let's see.....right now I am enjoying...nope, wrong word...I am watching with amazement as my son has discovered that he can wrangle his little body (and larger head) through the porch railing wrungs into the adjoining neighbbor's porch and I am learning consistancy by having to administer discipline in a swift way in between typing words, as the word 'no' coming from me does not prompt the quickness in obedience that I expect. And so, I enjoyed R&R for about 5 minutes, and I am thankful.

I actually really am.

The news from around this sad, weary, wicked world is completely overwhelming this week. I thought the cyclone in Burma was hard enough to comprehend (26,000 dead??? Each one of those digits represents thousands of individuals. If one person I knew died today, it would change my life. But imagine knowing large numbers of your community (not to mention your children, family, close friends) whose lives were snuffed out in an instant?

I do not mean to be depressing, but I am going to be real about what is 'going on with me', and this and now the earthquake in China where thousands are buried under the rubble...it is all very heavy and hard to imagine. And it is hard to reconcile the beautiful picture of a loving Heavenly Father allowing this all to happen...and especially to children. Perhaps it is simply my way of dealing with it, but I have to believe that God, who works and lives and breathes in dimensions in which my meager mind could not comprehend, is somehow, in some way that is reserved for 'such a time as this'...that in some way, He is making Himself physically real to the little children who feel lost, are abandoned, are orphaned...wiping their tears, helping their bellies feel fuller than they should and holding them closer than a breath in the midst of terror. He is not above it, and I wouldn't be suprised to hear the stories in Heaven someday.

Again, this is not a theologian speaking. I am simply a lady who follows God and believes with all her heart that He is able to take care of those who call upon His name, in the best-and the most tragically worst-of times. Be it the wordless grunt of a grown man or the scared, delicate cry of a little one.

These are my thoughts that have been with me the past few days.

Yet even as I contemplate in my heart, the surroundings include ever growing, ever busy little bustling babies. One of whom, for the first time, escaped from his crib this morning. I wish I could have seen it, because it must have been quite a feat! This particular little guy's younger sister has shown an accute dislike for bibs. I have understated it. She hates them. Perhaps she gets it from her mother. I disliked (with a passion), scarves when silk scarves were THE fashion accessory. So...life here in my little corner goes on. And I go with it, praying and seeking and wondering all the while!