Day Nine - April 9, 2020
Today I woke up and for that I’m grateful. I think I might be processing stress in my sleep right now - so I’ve been struggling a bit with tossing and turning throughout the night. Often I find myself waking up on the brink of a migraine. I think it’s because of clenching my jaw. Going to have to work on this…
Misting rain and low lying clouds did nothing to deter Nellie from her hour long walk bright and early this morning…
The sun rose behind the clouds - another day…
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As I sit here this evening getting ready to write, I’m watching our oldest struggle through an online business exam. She has moved positions in the house three times, removed all distractions, and is reading aloud to herself. But it’s just hard. She is a hard-working student who has to be really disciplined and work hard for her grades. The semester began on campus but transitioned a few weeks ago to fully online. She misses her friends, campus life and a certain level of academic stability she found on campus. And yet she perseveres!
Today we found out that all schools in PA will not reopen their doors for the remainder of the school year. Because our kids study at home for most of their classes, our schedule has remained pretty much the same. Their college class has moved to an online format and I’m kind of convinced their professor has enjoyed assigning MORE work rather than actually teaching. They keep plugging away though.
Dan found out this afternoon that his tennis season has officially come to an end now that school will not reopen. And so he works through another disappointment just as many other students are as well… He’s writing a paper right now analyzing two pieces of literature on the topic of hope deferred. I suppose sometimes life experiences have a way of helping us understand things a bit differently.
I found a farm to get finely graded soil for the raised garden beds. Armed with shovels and a van full of containers, Andrei and I brought back a load of beautiful mushroom soil and topsoil. The goal is to be ready to plant seedlings after the last frost. In past years, we’ve wanted to be this organized but something always took priority. This year, the garden has been my life-line.
I was struck today by the beautiful blue sky and huge white clouds. This afternoon, while Leah and I went on a walk, we decided to try to capture at least 15 different types of blooming vegetation against the backdrop of the white clouds and blue sky. I think our timing might have been a little off. Just as we began our endeavor, the wind began howling through the neighborhood.
As I bent over to capture the view of a dandelion - I chuckled. There I was, kneeling in the grass, camera flipped at an odd angel, photographing a weed! And yet against the blue sky, it was beautiful! I think an old rusty can may have looked appealing up against today’s sky!
As I stood back up, I was reminded to keep my eyes - my soul - lifted to the sky - especially in these present times… For when we see only dandelion weeds and rusty cans, we miss the beauty of our Creator - our ultimate glorious backdrop for all of life!
Psalms 121 -
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not sleep…
The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
The sun will not harm you by day - nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life.
The Lord will watch over your coming and going -
both now and forevermore.”
These verses are promises from our Creator… and although we may not always see them played out exactly as we think they should - they are true. They are promises regarding the human heart that is HIDDEN in relationship with their Creator.
Tomorrow is Good Friday - the day when we remember the greatest sacrifice ever made on our behalf. Our atonement. Our redemption... that we might be able to lift our eyes to the mountains - to find our help from the Maker of heaven and earth!
As we left the park, I stumbled upon a path of pine trees and saw the new spring growth pushing up towards the great blue sky. I recently read that pine trees know when Easter is coming, and often their new growth will appear to look like crosses pointed up to Heaven.
And so now the day is finished… The homework, exams, gardening, and tools have all been put away. We rest knowing that God watches over us as we HIDE ourselves in Him.
