Don't Get Lost in the Daily...

Yesterday I attended the funeral of a sweet little two year old boy, Braxton Guy.  His mom and I know each other through the world of adoption.  Through the world of "heart" adoption. 

Braxton was a single ventricle heart hero like our three youngest girls.  Immediately following his open-heart surgery, this week, he experienced  complications and went home to be with the Lord.

Braxton came home to the Guy family 3 1/2 months ago, but as the pastor so accurately reminded everyone at the service yesterday, he was ordained to be a Guy since before the foundation of the earth. 

As I sat in the service and watched the sweet photos of Braxton flash across the screen...

As I watched Jerry and Angie lift up their hands in praise to Jesus, even in the midst of their deep grief, because they understood this is not the end of the story for Braxton it's just the beginning...

As I sobbed almost uncontrollably as I thought about the six open-heart surgeries we have already been through and the one most likely to be scheduled this fall for Savannah Faith...

The Lord whispered to me the reminder..."Don't Get Lost in the Daily."

I'm a list maker.  A production oriented person.  I want to produce to feel accomplished. 

It's hard for me to just sit with my children and listen.  I'm not proud of that...I'm just being honest.

It's hard for me sit in a rocking chair and just relax. 

It's hard for me to sip a glass of lemonade and swing in a hammock. (Okay who I am kidding...if I was sipping anything it would definitely be a Starbucks.)  But you get the idea.

So, I HAVE to be intentional if I am not going to "Get Lost in the Daily"....

The To Do List
The bills to be paid. 
The insurance company to fight. 
The Dr.'s and therapy visits to attend. 
The home school to complete
The laundry to wade through
The house cleaning (okay that one just isn't a high priority anymore...just sayin'...23 years of parenting has taught me something!
The e-mails to check. 
The business website to update...check it out at www.fullquiverfarmnc.com   I'm shameless I know:)  The FB to check....this one can be a time sucker can't it!!
And the list goes on and on...

So after Braxton Guy's service yesterday...
After hearing the pastor's testimony that when he entered little Braxton's hospital room and saw Angie rocking her little boy for the last time and hearing Angie say, "I'd do it all again."

She'd go through the 1 1/2 year process of fundraising, tedious adoption paperwork, explaining "why" to well-meaning but sometimes clueless people, and then of course the waiting, and waiting, and waiting to hold her son who was half way around the world...
to only "lose" him, on this earth,  3 1/2 short months later.

After hearing all of that, I listened to the Lord, and at least yesterday, I didn't get "Lost in the Daily".

I came home and sat on the porch and rocked Savannah.

I pushed the girls on the swings.

I watched Michaela jump a new pony she is training for our business, and then even snapped a cute picture of her in in her riding helmet when she dismounted.

I watched Izzy and Lily Rose being silly and giggling and even tried to avoid our billy goats legs as he blocked my view when I was trying to shoot a picture.

And finally I got a shot of Izzy and Lily giggling...

and giggling....

and giggling some more!

And I felt a nudge from the Lord to refocus.  In John Piper's book, "Don't Waste Your Life" he says,

 

"God calls us to pray and think and dream

and plan and work not to be made much of,

but to make much of Him in every part of our lives." 

 

and he goes on to say...

 

"But whatever you do, find the God-centered, Christ-exalting, Bible-saturated passion of your life, and find your way to say it and live for it and die for it.  And you will make a difference that lasts.  You will not waste your life."

 

Jerry and Angie Guy made a difference in Braxton's life.  They showed him the love of Christ!  They glorified the Lord in their parenting of Braxton, in their worshiping of the Lord in the midst of their grief yesterday, in their statement..."I'd do it all again."

 

 

My passion has long been orphan care and adoption ministry.  However, that passion has waned in recent months as I've been  "Lost in the Daily."  But Jerry and Angie and the Lord reminded me not to waste my life!  I want to bring glory to Him as I pursue the passion of my life...loving the children the Lord has blessed Phil and I with and advocating for the children who wait!

 

So what's the passion of your life?