Looks like we're making it!?

Ufda. So much has changed in these past few months.

The song, "Looks like we made it," by Barry Manilow came to my head as I thought of today.....a Wednesday late morning, Harry Potter soundtrack playing in the background (one my kids' favorites). P is unscrambling words for spelling and O is researching the amendments for our Civil Government unit (or watching The Office clips on YouTube, both suggestions equally likely). :/ P is dressed in a Wonder Woman Cape learning and working in mostly a vertically, spinning and rolling position at all times, while O neatly sits as his desk, hoodie up or down depending on if Joel started a fire yet that morning. Lola the Yorkie, the best behaved of all three but is one of the number one distractions of homeschooling for those two. Aye. Yet, somehow, through the grace of God, it "looks like we're making it."

Sometimes life doesn't look a THING like we hope it would. Sometimes life is going in what seems like the completely opposite direction of our hopes and dreams. As we wait a mere 13 days before the election of our next United States President, I can only imagine how greatly our lives may or may not be changing in the coming year. Barry's song may not be ringing so true at times when we think of the potential outcome. Yet, it doesn't really matter what our thoughts and feelings are on this subject. As Christians, it doesn't just LOOK like we made it, we have in fact and with 100% certainty in deed ,"made it." I am often guilty of knowing, yet, not 100% fulling believing with "feeling" that "every-ting is gonna be alright." (I'm in a music mood today as you can see). The pressure alone should be totally GONE when we are reminded daily that there is nothing new under the sun. There is nothing that is going to happen that the Creator of all doesn't already not only know about , but exactly how it is going to end. He's made it FOR us.

Look at these leaves. I love the analogy of how every year, tree leaves die as the tree gets ready to hibernate for winter. In that process, the leaves go from a life-giving color of lush green to all spectacular shades or reds, oranges, purples and yellows. It truly is a breathtaking time of year. We prepare for (what to me is NOT a fun season) winter, but before that, we get to see such creative color beauty and be reminded to that yes, yet again, changes lie ahead of us as well. After this color change, the leaves turn brown, and crisp and start to fall off the tree. The comedian Jim Gaffigan has a hilarious bit on this process. He said it was like the leaves were yelling at everyone who marveled in their death. We walk around "ooo-ing and awe-ing" at these colors of leaves while the leaves are saying, "Help us!" While we are telling our neighbor how much we love the "foliage," "Oh, don't you love this time of year, all the foliage..." the leaves are screaming, "Get me Chlorophyll!!!" If you haven't seen this stand up bit by Gaffigan I highly recommendit! Laughter of course is the best medicine and I don't think we are doing enough of it right now anyway. So, go watch it. Now. Right now. Do it. lol ;)

After the leaves turn brown, crisp up and fall away, we are left with a bunch of dead foliage to now either rake up and bag neatly for our cookie cutter neigborhood Fall garbage pick ups, or, as the past country bumpkins we once ( and sadly miss ) were, rake a ginormous pile for the kids to jump in and leave the rest scattered as "mulch." (Time is of the essence folks. ;)) Then, the cold snap really cuts loose and we now have what seems like an eternity of snow, ice, slush, grey skies and crabby (er) drivers. WHOO ! Good times! I never understood why retired people always became snowbirds when I was younger. I now not only get it, but every year I secretly die a little more inside wishing I was on that plane to Panama or Arizona or WHEREVER that doesn't know what snow and cold are. Yet, just like everything in life, there is a season, and it turns. Winter turns to Spring and Spring turns to Summer.....and life goes on. Babies continue to be born and politicians continue to lie. God's word continues to be preached and people continue to disobey. Our Savior Jesus continues to never leave or forsake us and we as humans continue to think we have some great big marvelous contribution to our purpose and existence.

This. Is. Life.

On earth.

But LIFE, as in true Life'? That is not our focus. That is not where we expend our energy. Sure, we need to pay the bills, clothe and feed the kids, watch our health and make good choices, but even with all of the best intentions and choices we make, the outcome in life still ends the same. We die. The question is, where are we going after we die?

I know where I am going and that is a peace that surpasses any understanding. It doesn't just look like I've made it. Throught Christ, HE MADE IT FOR ME!!!

AND! HE'S MADE IT FOR YOU TOO!

xoxo Sara