God moments in hairy days

What do green snot, 2 hours of sleep, and a temperature have in common? Well at our house it usually means Riley Kate has another ear infection. 

       I love how God uses ordinary daily things to scrape away more of my flesh and in doing so is revealing more of himself to me. I had it all planned out-my whole week actually- day by day sketched out on a scrap piece of paper. Its a really busy week for us but i am a list maker to the very core.. although i hardly ever follow them or get them all accomplished. Anyway, since aaron started his landscaping side job i do not have an opportunity to go work out in the morning before he goes to OPD. So I had resolved that I was going to give getting up at 5am to go run before my babies woke up a try. So that was first, then I was going to shower, get in the word, eat breakfast, and be ready to go when my crew( including aaron) woke up. I was anticipating todays "feature event" which was getting Riley Kate's cast off followed by plunking her into a bathtub(which i haven't been able to do in 4 wks)  I had come to terms that i would have both kids with me at that doc's apt and it would involve Hadley missing her morning nap but we would adjust and hopefully it wouldn't be too hectic. My "perfect day" was over before it even really began. I went to bed @ 12am after Aaron got home and was woken up by the sweet little "mommy" cries at 12:45. Riley and I did not go to bed until 4:49am.. so when my 5:00 am alarm sounded i was not about to make a gym appearance.

     Since August, Riley Kate has had what i would label "Chronic" ear infections. Luckily it hasn't effected her hearing or "motor mouth's" linguistic skills-but we (our doctor included) hates giving her so many antibiotics for fear that there effectiveness will eventually wear off. We were told two ear infections ago that the next one meant tubes.. We (doctors included) kept hoping that if we could make it to spring the problem might resolve itself. 

 At 7:15 Hadley and I began our day-I did our morning thing, barely said a prayer,  showered, called doctors, and got Riley up in time to eat breakfast and rush out the door  to our orthopedic apt. 

 We went to Dr. Milem's and our cast did get taken off and Riley Kate handled the sawing really well :) Then we rushed home for a quick bite of lunch and a BATH and then headed to our next apt. Sweet little Hadley just contently went along for the ride all day-with as usual no fussing :) It was while I was  waiting for Dr. Gannon to come into the room that Spirit brought to my mind how incredibly sinful I  was being . All morning I had been frustrated-not at Riley because even though i love my sleep- those middle of the night moments of cuddling and soothing your baby to sleep are sweet even in there misery-but i was frustrated because I hadn't accomplished what I had set out to do. The Spirit reminded me of several convicting things

1. Had I accomplished everything on my to-do list-what would that have meant-NOTHING probably just added some pride to battle. And because I accomplished ZERO things on that list what does that mean? It made me evaluate where I am finding satisfaction. In my own performance or in God's presence. 

2. God ordained this day before the beginning of time and I get to walk in it... There is purpose so no need to be frustrated or dismayed. I will never get this day back with my kids. 

3. Selfishness. I think there are many degrees of selfishness and when you enter into different seasons of  life if you are a believer the Lord reveals them to you and plucks it out and prunes you. For example, when you are a college kid its not wrong that you go to bed when you want, eat when you want, and spend your time (in reason) the way you see fit because there is really no one (aside from Christ-which is huge dont get me wrong) that you are laying your life down for. Then when you get married I feel like there is a new degree of selflessness you have to work through. Then when you have the first kid -another degree of selflessness you have to weed through..And i know for me the second kid has provided yet another avenue for God to prune me of selfishness. I am sure more kids probably= more selflessness.  Let me clarify i don't think making time for things like getting in the Word, working out, and showering= selfishness but just the response of becoming frustrated is where i felt like i was being selfish. 

It was an ear infection so tubes are in our near future-which we realize is not a big deal and are okay with if it will help her. Currently she is resting well.