I love the 80's. Love it. I grew up in the 80's. I loved the high side pony tails and the neon friendship bracelets. I loved roller rink parties (maybe because I won the limbo once and felt like I had won the Olympics). I loved Tiffany and Soda Pop sneakers, New Kids On the Block and Super Mario Bros on the ORIGINAL Nintendo. And, I mean, The Never ending Story, HELLO? I seriously LOVED and still do love 80's music. Guest the artist of the lyrics below!
"I don't care if Monday's blue
Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too
Thursday, I don't care about you
It's Friday, I'm in love
Monday you can fall apart
Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart
Oh, Thursday doesn't even start
It's Friday, I'm in love"
Did you guess it? If not, it's "Friday, I'm in Love" by The Cure.
It's Friday as I am writing this. Joel is watching some new movie on Apple TV, the kids are shockingly getting along watching a movie as well. Sam made an amazing homemade pizza recipe tonight, ( can I just say how awesome it is having teenage kids who like AND are amazing cooks?!) Now, if I could just get them to jump on that same bandwagon for dishes and cleaning up the basement that would be AWESOME!!!!!
Fridays have always been a sort of "sacred night" in our home. When the kiddos were little, it was always ,always, pizza and movie night. If we strayed even slightly from that routine the older boys who at the time were small little lads , were so bothered and really wished they were "just home having pizza and watching a movie."
Fast forward a few years, and add a pandemic in there, and our Fridays are looking similar to what they did about 10 years ago. There haven't been games and social events to go to. The older boys do have jobs and sometimes work on Friday evenings, but overall, our Fridays are looking like they did in the "olden days.' I also won't lie, our older boys choose to spend more of their time at home with their siblings, than out and about with friends. Through time, they have realized that just because cultural norm may say one thing, they actually prefer to choose what makes THEM happy and they know in result, they are making better choices. It's humbling because I won't lie, I wasn't as wise at their age. I made a lot of choices that contradicted my faith and my morals, and those are things that you can't escape. Sure, you are absolutely 100% forgiven in our gracious Lord, and guilt is not from Him. But skeletons still live in closets and try their hardest to haunt you.
Every day is a gift. Even Mondays. ;) Every day is a new day to start over, to rise up, to be better, do better, love hard and give generously. Hold tight to the wonderful memories, but acknowledge the bad ones and then throw them into a virtual fire. They do not serve you in any way anymore and they are not yours to carry.
"What is left of us when memories are washed away by the passing of time"?
I hear that quote, and I think of my dear sweet grandma Clara who at the end of her life on earth developed dementia. She couldn't remember the names of her kids. I always wonder what memories she held at the end of her journey, and it made me so sad. She was such a kind, loving, optimistic woman who loved to serve and bake and care for others. She truly thrived off the love she could give others and didn't really seem to expect much in return. Yet in spite of all of this, I know without a shadow of a doubt she was left with the greatest gift. Her memory may have failed, but she seemed at peace. I know she was at peace. I know this because she loved her Savior with a fierce confidence, that I truly don't think I have seen in anyone else in my 41 years of existence. She had a childlike faith. And if she doubted (and she did because she was human, we all doubt at times), she never showed it. She made this girl, this woman I have now become feel more loved , more secure, more precious than a child could ever , possibly feel.
Joel and I watched the Jeffrey Epstein documentary the other night on Netflix. To say it was disturbing doesn't even come close to the atrocity and depravity that man chose to torture and abuse young girls and woman. He isn't an anomaly sadly either. Sex trafficking is rampant , and as we get closer to end times it will only continue to increase. I can honesty say I have lost hours of sleep, wanting desperately to find a way to make this end. I want to find a way to find these children and staple back together hearts of parents all over the world who are literally living as lifeless zombies at the loss of a child, but not even knowing if they are dead or alive, what they are going through and where they are.
I never had that. I had a safe home, safe parents, safe family. I will not say i haven't endured trauma, but some of that I did, yes, I will say it, I DID put myself in a place to make that happen. Some of it was beyond anything I could have prevented, and I sure as hell didn't deserve it. Yet. through it all, NEVER have I EVER endured what thousands and thousands and thousands of children all over the world are experiencing on a daily basis. Some may even call it conspiracy theory because they can't even fathom the atrocity and the overwhelming thought of where to start.
I beg you though. Don't turn away. Don't pretend it's too much to imagine. It's not imagination. Imagine the worst, and take that times ten.
That is what is happening. That is what we need to take action about. That is what we need to be on our knees at sunrise and sunset about.
Jesus loves the little children.
Fridays truly are wonderful. It's kind of the "reward'" at the end of a hard week. It's the beginning of the weekend. A time to get house projects done, go on a quick get away, or simple lie around and eat bon bons and watch reruns of The Office.
Life continues on as the world turns. We can't possibly save everyone or everything. There is joy and there is grief. There is war and there is peace. There is morning and there is night. And as long as this earth exists, God promises there will be all these things. There will be seasons of cold and warmth. There will be seasons of planting and harvest. There will be seasons of mourning and weeping.
There will be Fridays.
And Fridays, well, I'm still in love with you.
xoxo, Be well, you are loved,
Sara
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. " Colossians 4:2-3
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