My Chaos… God’s Kingdom

Good Morning my fellow wildflowers! How many of you have laid in bed replaying the events from the day. Maybe you’re replaying several days, because it has been a tough week. Well my sweet friend you are not alone. Last week felt like everyday was its own week (thanks Wendy for that phrasing). With that, let me do a quick recap for you.

We made a flying trip to Kansas to take my nephews back to my sister and brother in law on Sunday. Monday morning I got up, started a load of laundry, then started making my smoothie (after some prayer and worship time). That smoothie led me to the garage to get more oat milk from the fridge in there. I opened the door and was met with a gross smell. As I went in to investigate (and get the milk) I noticed liquid on the floor in front of our stand up freezer. The seal had gone out, and everything in it was thawing, 2 boxes of popsicles, and many many pounds of meat. Thankfully the meat was either still partially frozen or cold enough to save, so I began cooking it as quickly as I could. Our 8 year old had camp that I thought was in the morning so go drop him off, stop at the store, get phone call that camp isn’t until 1m and goes to 5pm. Perfect the Daddy man can swing by and pick D up after work. Go home continue to cook 13 pounds of ground beef, 8 chuck roasts….. and on… drop D off at 1 come home. Get ready for physical therapy, go to physical therapy. I have the baby and the 3 year old with me because I forgot to ask someone to baby sit. I’m filling out paperwork, J is crying, and R needs to go potty… I do not get R to the potty, so I’m cleaning her mess up, I don’t have clothes, J is still screaming. The sweet women in the physical therapy office are great, so helpful and kind. They get me into the room and I start to feed J. Camp calls and the camp ended at 4 not 5…. well great the daddy man is on his way he just got off so he’ll be there soon. As I am apologizing and saying that I was told it ended at 5pm. I hang up the phone and start bawling! Let me tell you the days of that week all had some kind of chaos in them. Last week was a tough week. But that isn’t what is making last week stand out to me….

While last week was one tough week there is something that I noticed more than that. I saw how God was working in each and every thing that happened. I as a parent often feel like I need to keep my kids from “bothering” others, that I can do it with out help. That I am supposed to do it with out help, but that is not true. From the women with her preteen/teenage daughter in the physical therapy office that offered the “we have all been there” comment, to the women to help J as I was being treated, to the friends that encouraged me, it was all a well orchestrated plan. For me to feel just as seen as I am, for me to feel loved and supported. For my faith to be tested and for me to preserver through it. Monday was hard and overwhelming, but God knew what I would need, when I would need it, and who I would need.

There is only one person we hear about in the bible giving God a name. Her story is one of being cast aside and unseen. However she learned that while her masters cast her aside her God never did. Do you know who that is? If you said Hagar you would be correct. The part of her story that we are going to talk about starts with the impatience of her master. Hagar was Sara’s servant, and was used in her master’s impatience and control of the plan. God told Abraham and Sara that they would have a child, even in their old age. Sara thought it was taking too long and that God wouldn’t do it through her, so she gave Hagar to Abraham. Hagar conceived a child, which made her look at Sara with contempt. So Sara deal with her harshly. So Hagar did what any person would, she left. In the wilderness God met her and sent her back (you can read the full story in Genesis 16). She said to God “you are a God of seeing” (Genesis 16:13). The name El Ron means “the God who sees”. If He saw Hagar and He saw me in the chaos, find comfort my friend that HE sees YOU too!

I am praying for you, you are not alone, you are the right person for the job. You are exactly who your children need. You are right where you are supposed to be in this season. Take to heart that God is sovereign and you are held in his hands!

Much Love Stacie