Busy Week Blues

Do you ever just get so busy as a mom that you forget to stop and enjoy it? Well, that happened to me this week. With Brian working from dark to dark, I have been exhausted and VERY absent minded. Lily has not been sleeping well, so she has me up about 3 times during the night, and the lack of sleep has really taken a toll on my energy level. One blessing is that I have really held myself accountable for having my daily devotions during Lily and Anjolie's nap time in the morning. I can't hide in the bathroom because I am inevitably interrupted by little piggys and fingers squishing themselves under the door. I can't seem to get up earlier than Anjolie...or Lily for that matter. They get me up around 5:30am most mornings. So...PRAISE THE LORD FOR NAPS!!
Well, that being said, this past Wednesday, was just one of those "off" days. Everything seemed to be off schedule, and I just could not seem to get it back on. Typically, if a day like this is happening, I just stop trying to stay on schedule, and I just get out of the house for the day. I did not do that, and in the chaos and naps being out of sync etc, I failed to have my devotion time. Boy, was that ever a mistake!! My day got worse and worse.
Then, it peaked. I needed to go to the commissary before picking up Brianna, and I left plenty of time so I could take the groceries home and get to the church early. Well, when I went to get into the car, my keys are NOWHERE to be found!! I had 45min to find my keys, get the groceries home and pick-up Brianna. So, I drag Lily and Anjolie back into the commissary and ask if anyone turned in my keys. No keys were turned in. I remembered that Lily had a messy diaper right as we arrived *sigh* maybe I threw it away with that....yes,.... I asked if I could dig through the trash Ok? No dice...I mean keys. Now, I have about 25 min left. I don't have any way to get in contact with Brian, I don't have any yen to get a cab, I am just a sweaty frazzled mess racing around the commissary with two very small kids! As time was winding down, I thought that I should at least call the school and ask my friend who is a teacher if she would mind picking up Brianna. Well, the commissary does not have a phone-book in English (go figure) and the Japanese one they have is from 2001 which would not have the right number in it. Talk about a mess...not even to touch on all the meat and frozen goods I had sitting out in the hot sun. With 15min left, I remember there is an advertisement for our church in the newspaper! We find that, and then I at least get a message to my friend to pick up Brianna. Our pastor was the one who answered the phone, and I was way too embarrassed to tell him the situation so my friend did not even know I might not be at home when she took Brianna. I just was so overwhelmed that I did not even have any worry left to worry about that. And then, at my height of panic...it was like everything stopped. All the noise in the store, Anjolie yanking on my shirt, Lily crying and pulling my hair, my heart racing...everything just stopped, and I could see clear as day what I needed to do. I had exhausted all efforts in the situation, and I needed to 100% give it to God. So, I did. I just told Him that He knew I needed to get home and get Brianna, He alone knew why I had to be in this situation, and I was just going to trust Him to take care of us. A huge weight lifted off instantly, and it was like He was right there next to me with His arm around me, holding me up. He gave me that peace beyond understanding...I just knew it would work out. I then walked back out to my car to look one last time, and here comes a lady walking up to me with my keys. I wanted to jump on her and hug her!! She had found them on the ground next to the van but did not know whether to turn them in to the commissary or to the exchange. So, she was just walking around with my keys!! The Lord must really have had a reason!! When I had nowhere else to look, I looked up, and He arranged it that way. I could not hear His still voice in all my effort and worry! I should have been prayerful from the beginning!

So, it turned out that I was able to pick-up Brianna anyway and none of my meat spoiled, and I was safe from whatever the Lord was protecting me from. What a loving Father we have. At least HIS schedule is always perfect. Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. I am so glad that my problems are not too small to be noticed by a loving Savior; that the same peace, strength and mercy that was given to the Great King David, a man after God's own heart, is available for little ole me.