Daily Days and Mundane Moods

In a few weeks we will head down to Same, Isla Del Sol, with the interns and full time Short Term Staff to do a retreat.  This will be a time to get away, reflect, rest up a bit, mid-way through a busy summer of hosting teams.  I am sharing this picture today because I am closing my eyes this afternoon and imagining myself on a beach, with a "drink in my hand (limonada, ofcourse!) and my toes in the sand, and my only worry is the tide gonna reach my chair."  I did not sleep last night and have just not been in the best of places today.  I would say I had the grumpy hungries, except I am not hungry! Next check is H.A.L.T--am I hungry, angry, lonely, or tired? (This little expression used to live on our fridge as a check in for grumpy attitudes!)  I can identify two of the four!:)  So, I have put myself in a time out to reflect and pray a bit, and ask God what in the world is going on.  Perhaps it is a mix of things that is getting to me.  Today Austin turned 20!  Another season has ended--Since 2000 we have had teenagers, and for a while we had four!  Now, just like that we have none!  All grown young adults!  I am feeling sad about that today, happy for Austin, but I have so loved having teenagers.  Everyone always told us "Just wait til you have your own teenagers, then you won't love working with teens so much!"  But they were dead wrong.  I loved that season.  That is not to say it was without challenges, but God taught me and stretched me so much through those years that I wouldn't change it for anything.  I am thankful for you four kiddos!  Thankful for the spouses that two of you have!  I love you!  Why would I share about this with you?  Because it is and always has been important to me that people understand that missionaries are just people, ordinary people, who have ups and downs and experience many of the joys and sorrows that anyone else does.  I am nothing special, or extraordinary.  Everyday is not a constant high!  Everything we do as we serve here is not amazing and wonderful and sensational.  There are lots of mundane days and parts of life here that require dogged faithfulness and "showing up."  It has been a hard afternoon, full of many emotions and thoughts and fears.  So if you read this today, and got this far, just please stop and pray. Pray for protection from the enemy of our souls, pray for protection for our marriage, and protection over our home.