Monday, May 23, 2011

tea bags and hot water

photo credit - stock.xchng by egahen

life can be a whirlwind at times.  if i don't brace myself going into a jam-packed season, i tend to get overwhelmed and extremely teary eyed.  i am much like a toddler who experiences sensory overload with buckets of tears and paralyzing melt downs.

i knew these past few weeks would be one of these whirlwind-like seasons.  thankfully i realized this when looking at my schedule beforehand instead of crying to my husband in the middle the all too familiar phrase, i just don't know what is wrong with me? i can't do it! 

though there were still tears, i made it through.  i didn't just put myself on autopilot to get through, but i actually did pretty good at enjoying the craziness instead of dreading it.  yes, there were tears.  there was lack of sleep.  there was a bit too much reliance on caffeine.  but there was also laughter, smiles, moments, and memories made.

my mom told me many times growing up that the Lord would never give us more than we could handle, but oftentimes He would give us more than we thought we could handle.

true.
       true.
              true.
                     so true.

over and over again He has pushed me to that breaking point.  i didn't think i could handle it.  i was overwhelmed by my weakness and what lay ahead.  but He has always known me far better than i have known myself.  and when i am weak, i cry out for the One who is strong.

my husband got me a card in the middle of one of the hardest times of my life that happened to also be during our first year of marriage.  on the front it had a quote by eleanor roosevelt:
a woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. 
i have never thought of myself as strong.  yet, i have been in an awful lot of hot water.


and so, the list continues...

172 - 184:

172. the 6:30 am answered question of "is the chick named susan a rooster?"

173. a very busy couple weeks.

174. family.  family that are my closest friends.

175. cardamom coffee cake to celebrate my hubby's birthday early.

176. a basket of clean towels on the couch.

177. asher's stellar goal at his last soccer game.

178. one of my hats being featured in a treasury on etsy.

179. hand-me-down clothes... for me!

180. the reminder to slow down and spend time with Jesus.

181. david pawson's recorded teachings on the book of habakkuk. (to watch the archived video click here and scroll down to see part one and part two).  gave me a new love for a book of the Bible i hadn't previously ever connected deeply with.

182. celebrating. birthdays. all. month. long.

183. tea bags and hot water.

184. a renewed hope for old dreams.



i am linked up at a holy experience.  come and join in on the party of counting 1000 gifts.  i would love to read your list as well.  if you are visiting from the link up, leave a comment and let me know!



what are you thankful for?
what gift has He given you this week?



charis
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