abnormalville & grace

i've been gone.

first i was gone- taking care of my injured husband, and readjusting to life with him broken and wheel chair bound.

then i was gone- on an 11 day trip to D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, with wheel chair bound husband, 3 kids, 4 large (and heavy) suitcases, 3 carry on bags, and Tom Tom.

i've been home for a few days, but i still feel gone.

i think it is natural to come home and look forward to things retuning "back to normal." however, in the last few days it has hit me that life won't be "normal" for a while.

i miss "normal."

but all i can do is walk through each day extending grace to every circumstance, every need, every thing that is abnormal. this doesn't come easily for me. what comes easily is complaining, becoming frustrated, and making a home in self-pity... but i HATE living there. so i find myself walking through each moment reciting over and over again "give it grace."

give grace to the-
dishes in the sink
day old clothes on the clothesline
weeds in the garden
postcards that were never sent
piles of books and toys unclaimed
lesson plans unwritten
bills ignored
phone calls not being returned
a blog neglected

i have nothing left but to give it all grace right now, because i can't do it all, and i can't beat myself up for not doing it. so here, in abnormalville, is where i learn to give grace to myself. here in abnormalville i've got a lot of opportunity to practice :-)

so here's what i NEED from you- prayer. i need prayer that i will be able, by the grace of God, to lavish grace on the circumstances, people around me, and onto myself.
i also need prayer physically. in my attempt to be a crutch for my sweet husband i injured my back. traveling, lifting, and caring has aggravated the injury, and well, i REALLY hurt.
(go to second chiropractor today).
thank you.

finally, to read a beautiful STORY of God's GRACE made real in someone's life, visit sarah markley's blog the best days of my life.

i look forward to sharing with you pictures and vlogs (video blogs) from our great trip. here is just a tiny glimpse.
Noah, Emilie, and Josie with Betsy Ross (and some other guys) at Betsy Ross' house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvanian.