crazy week, busy day

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster week around here.  Most of it is stuff that is happening to people we love around us rather than right here at home, but still…

Sunday morning I was up at 4 with Ryan, and for some strange reason checked my phone.  A text had just come in from a dear friend.  We’ve been friends for 22+ years.  We’ve been in small groups together.  We went on vacation together for years.  Her boys are older than Brent; her girls are the same ages as some of mine.  (Ann has always been the perfect mentor and go-to person for questions about raising boys!)  She was texting us to let us know that her 18 year old daughter, a beautiful, talented girl with a life full of love and promise, had been diagnosed with leukemia.  We’re familiar with that disease here.  Sadly.  I cried.  We all cried.  It was hard.  (Still is!)  But Katie is upbeat.  A real trooper!  Treatment started Monday night, and they’ve been surrounded by friends and family lifting them up and loving on them.  Good thing, too—my friend had texted me on Thursday morning to let me know that her mother in law had just passed away (not unexpected.)  It’s been a tough week at their house.   Here, the feelings of helplessness flow.  It can be easy to get bogged down in how little can be done to really ‘help’ in this situation. 

Monday was busy.  School.  Speech therapy.  Volleyball in Tacoma.  Then Tuesday came, and it’s ALWAYS crazy.  Preschool in the morning.  Usually speech therapy in the afternoon, but this week preschool was followed by a quick dash home to take care of a forgotten chore, then a trip to Costco for groceries.  Laundry and a quick tidying up followed.  Wednesday had school for the boys.  School for my high school friend.  Setting an appointment for my girl to see the doctor about her shoulder, which hurts right now.  It’s likely a volleyball injury.  Then volleyball, ‘til way too late last night.  And the final straw…a fall on the court, which pushed my already tired, frustrated, in-pain child over the edge.  The shoulder is in agony.  Good thing the doctor’s appointment is this morning!

That brings us today.  The current schedule is nuts:  doctor this morning.  Speech therapy, far from home.  A visit to the hospital to see Katie and hug her mom.  A park date with a friend who moved away.  Small group.  Too much!  At this point, it’s probably speech therapy that will go.  I’m not even sure we could make it up there, given the distance and the rest of the schedule.  In between all those things is some prep for tomorrow.  That’s okay…I LIKE the routine stuff like that. 

Since this day officially gets moving in less than an hour, I should really get myself started.  It was a long night (Ryan couldn’t sleep) and today will be a long day.  But the same God who called me to this job will bring us through this day.  Especially if this is our attitude:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Col 3:23

Off to “work for the Lord” today!  I’m so glad He’s in control!!