My Crazy Life

Today was Art's 39th birthday...its interesting that the more kids you have, the less focus the adult gets on his birthday! But we tried to make it special for him!

As many of you know by now, the Snead clan will be packing their bags (and everything else we own) and moving to Nashville, TN - where the elevation is around 600 ft above sea level.... which means Josiah will no longer need oxygen on a regular basis. We knew this day was coming ever since the doctors and specialists told us that Josiah's lungs were "as good as they're gonna get", but we never imagined how quickly the opporutnity would arrive, or how well-adjusted our newly adopted children would be this early in the "game". All in all, it is apparant that God has been the orchestrator in the events of our lives over the last 6 months or so, and has paid attention to every detail (even though I still have a few questions about "timing" for him when I reach heaven, I have to say, he's got my full support on this one!)

As I am living each moment of each day, it feels so normal - tiring and patience-depleteing at times, but normal. But if I stop to think about the last 6 months or so, I think, "wow, we're CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A 7 week stint in the hospital with Josiah, followed by a 2 week trip to Africa to pick up 2 new additions, a few weeks at home to teach them English...and how to sit still....and how to speak without yelling...and how to keep food on their plates instead of putting it in their pockets....and that list could go on and on...., a quick trip for Art and I to TN to buy a house, and now 5 weeks to get ready to move there. Oh yeah, and before then, we'll have 2 kids in the science fair, finishing a year of homeschooling, end-of-year testing, soccer games and practices every week for the boys, a couple of classes of co-op PE to teach, and that list is going on and on too!

I told someone back in January that I wanted the year 2010 to be boring! (did God think I said "roaring"?...not sure...another question for heaven...) However, in reality, I'm not sure I could have it any other way. For better or for worse, we have been put in positions or put oursevles in positions where "boring" is not an option. Sometimes that means sleep is not an option, giving in to my natural tendencies can't be an option (something I am working on constantly), keeping the house clean or straight isn't an option (no laughing from the "peanut gallery" - my husband and friends who are wondering what my excuse was "before" crazy) and maybe even eating healthy can't be an option (right now I'm being sustained by coke and cookies!).

But the one thing that IS constant is peace. Sure, Art and I can get on each other's nerves, the kids can argue over the DUMBEST things, and I hear myself saying several times a day to various children, "you're making me coo-coo!" But in the midst of it all is a constant flow - or at least an intermitten flow - of serenity reminding us that he who called us is faithful, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, that "this too shall pass", and that when we have finished the race, we will receive the crown of life that God has for us, as He says "well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into eternal rest!"

Eternal rest...ahhhhhh. But for now, I'm content with crazy. I laugh so many times throughout the day when my children do hilarious things (Like Samuel's "putting on my clothes happy dance")! I pat myself on the back when my children learn new things in our homeschool and understand new concepts (even if Silas does seem to be figuring out his math problems while I am re-reading the lesson plan that I don't quite understand...), I feel my eyes water when I hear Silas telling his brother in the other room, "you know, when I trusted in Jesus as my Savior, Mom became not only my mom, but also my sister!", I smile when I hear my youngest two singing praises to God with their native accents and unspeakable joy, and I rest peacefully at night beside a man who loves all 5 of us dearly and does so much to take care of us not only physically and materially, but also emotionally and spiritually.

Are things perfect - no way! Are they slow and reflective - not a chance! But as long as I can count on the Lord to sustain us at this pace, I guess I'm okay with crazy!

(Next year, though, might be a good time for "boring"... and God, that was "B-O-R-I-N-G!"....)