My current situation is just lovely. It is raining here– thundering and gloomy. I have dinner cleaned up and put away. I am in my pajamas and it is not even 8PM. The only noise I hear is an 8 year old boy two rooms over yelling about how I am destroying his life and that if I let this mistake slide….he will never, ever, ever do it again.

It has been a rough day here.

I think we all need a day off- counting down to the weekend.

It has been a whirlwind of a summer.

Just as a catch up- Otis was promoted to Associate/Family Pastor at our church. Most of the “Associate” responsibilities he was already doing like handling service when our Pastor was out, helping around the church, or going on home/hospital visits. He is still the youth pastor, but now also has the kid’s ministry  under his umbrella. Any transition has the potential to be tricky. Summer time is super busy for us anyway, add another ministry to that list and we feel like we have been going non stop for months.

Needless to say, we are hoping September will bring cooler weather and a little slower schedule. Each season has it’s own rhythm and fall means football for our high school boys every Friday night. We are welcoming that consistency.

I told someone recently that I am busier now that I ever was while working a full time job. I am so thankful for the ability to be able to be at Otis’s side through every crazy turn that this summer has led us to. We have made it through the camps and events and I think we handled it all pretty well. It is a blessing to be able to have that time to invest into ministry. I don’t take that for granted at all. I have spent so many years chained to a work schedule and have missed out on so much– I know that this is a special time in my life.

With that being said– have you ever had one of those days where the sun was shining while it rained?

That is the very best way that I can explain my life right now.

I can see these blessings around me. I know that God has me, but I continue to walk through the rain. The storm is coming down all around me and I know that eventually it will stop, but for now I have to just keep moving.

This has all reminded me that you really never do know what someone might be going through. People have to choose to open up and let you in. Someone may seem to have it all together and have a wonderful life….and things might just be falling apart behind closed doors.

Anyone that truly knows me and is familiar with my story can attest to the fact that I have been through some hard things in life. I can honestly say though that this year….these past few months have been some of the hardest that I have ever faced. My family has faced sickness and death, and so, so much more. We have done our best to remain faithful, although I would be lying if I said that I never fought off feelings of despair. It has certainly not been easy. It has been a mixture of feeling stress, worry, and even humiliation. I am thankful for the relationship that I have with my husband. We both have good days and tough days, but we seem to balance each other out perfectly. And if we both happen to have a tough day at the same time, we have perfected the act of lifting one another out of it. I guess that is what twenty years together will do!!

All of that to say this-

1. Be kind. You never know what someone is going through. They might seem to have it all together and simultaneously be holding on to the end of their rope.
2. Walk through the storms of life with your face forward. God has you. I promise.
3. We are not meant to go through hard times alone.  I have such a great core group of friends that will pray with and for us. They have been a constant source of encouragement for months.

I am still holding on to my promises and I know that God is good. His timing is perfect and He has me. He has you too. Whatever you are facing is no surprise to Him. It might be raining where you, but the storm will end eventually.