part 2...

Right now it's early Wednesday morning. I'm alone in the house - Rob is in Atlanta.

It's been a rather hectic few days since he left, and I imagine that life will continue in that direction until he returns. (The kids LOVE to test boundaries when Rob is away. Yikes.)

Regardless of that, I covet these times of quiet. I have a lovely cumfy chair in my office that is condusive to thought and musing and I'm sitting there right now, enjoying the sounds of birds and crickets chirping outside.

Normally, this is my morning routine - arising to coffee and the Lord and sitting awhile preparing for the day. When Rob is gone, I find myself staying up into the night, winding down from the day, turning over situations in my mind, looking for perspective, encouragement, understanding and peace.

Here's what's running through my mind tonight:

Today 4 yr old Lele covered herself with stickers - right on her skin. When she tried to take them off and realized they were stuck AND pulling the skin, she freaked. I tried to help her by wetting them. That didn't work out so I carried her home to her Mom. Who just pulled 'em off dry, and with one quick rip...

Today I spent hours with 8yr old Quan. He wasn't allowed to come over to our house for a while, but now he is and I'm glad b/c he's a great kid and I missed him. While I sorted my receipts for Area Command (seriously Jim, they're coming) he spent an hour happily punching holes in a piece of paper with my hole punch. Ah. Simplicity.

I couldn't get Jeani to stop doing flips and somersalts on our couch - she's really too big for that and even though she's only 7, she's already wearing high heels and she just about poked one of the other kid's eyes out...

I baked banana cake for the kids and they left their napkins in my (I mean Rob's) flower garden out front instead of putting them in the garbage pail 2 feet away.

I wiped snot out of a little boys nose. It perpetually drips and from my observation, he is generally content to let it run right into his mouth...

I played ball with a 3yr old who swung the bat and hit himself in the head more times than he hit the ball. He kept trying though and didn't cry once.

I was waved to by at least 5 neighbours, introduced to 60yr old Joon's sister, broke up at least 3 fights and 2 hissy fits and someone trusted me enought to tell me their last name. Their real last name.

I said no a bunch of times. I said yes a bunch of times.

I cried as I looked at a little boy 'helping out Miss Heather' by watering the flowers. I think he drowned them, but he was so cute with the hose that I didn't have the heart to shut him down.

I laughed with a boy that has some of the best dance moves I've ever seen. I sang along with our latest neighbourhood anthem - "I'm from the ghetto homey, I was raised off of bread and bologna, don't come around here cuz you're phoney..." seriously, that's a real song.

I love the Lord.
I love that He's brought us here to this city and this neighbourhood, even if it DOES make me a bit crazy sometimes. Perspective is key, I think. That's what my cumfy chair is for. So I can sit myself down, take a deep breath and hear from God. Perspective. Encouragement. Correction. Peace.

Do you have a cumfy chair?