Jesus is Not Apart from This (and Photo Album Day 3)

Jesus is not apart from this.

He whispers it to my spirit at times when I feel myself shutting down after a long, hard day, or after bad news has come, or when three out of five dear daughters need serious correcting, now.

And it comes when the dishes are piled all around me and Legos are everywhere and there are four assignments remaining for both of the big girls' school.

Jesus is not apart from this. I hear it in my head as reality sinks in - BB's return to finish his degree will be time consuming, and we need to make adjustments in our routines, schedule, to make it work for all of us.

I hear it in my heart when enormous uncertainty looms.

I realize that the Sunday School answer here is that, well, of course Jesus is not apart from your problems, stresses, strains, exhaustion. He is deep in the center of them, orchestrating all for His glory, my good, the blessing of others.

But in that moment of overwhelmed-ness, or fatigue, or emotional swing, it is a gentle but firm reality check for me to hear Jesus is not apart from this, because it stops me from shutting down, and makes me turn to Him and talk. Just say my feelings, tell my fears. I'm so not good at this and am grateful that the Wonderful Counselor is working with me on it. These verses have come to mind a lot lately too:

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19

Just thinking out loud here, friends. And here are some more pictures. I've got lots more coming, including Gramma's Chinese baby dolls, and EG dressed up for Civil War Day! A quick explanation of the series below: LC wanted to show me all the blooms on the oleander bush, so I came out with her. It was beautiful, sunny, and not hot. Good sun = good pictures. I ran for the camera. We walked around admiring the bush and such, then she wanted to search for garden snails and frogs along the side of our house....

Do you love it? How fun!

She looked under that cement drain-thingy for snails, but it was a lizard on the wall that really got her excited. He ran behind the drain and couldn't be caught, though.

Her harvest of snails

Look everywhere!

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Mercy!

439. With many changes ahead, the Lord has taken sweet care of me this week, showing me that I can do this. I can do whatever it is He calls me to, because He will make it all happen. In so many ways, this week, He has assured me, has built up my confidence and courage, as I've watched Him arrange my days, my time; as He's helped me follow the guidance of His Spirit in my hour to hour choices and such.