Thursday, January 31, 2019

Coming And Going

It really is not easy being the youngest of 8 kids!  There is an emotional side most people do not see.

You are the one that might not have gotten family dinners with EVERYONE home.

You are the one that missed out on family events with EVERYONE there.

You are the one that watches them COME and GO, where they are now GONE longer than they are home.

19 years difference from his oldest sister.  13 years difference from his oldest brother. Everyone is High School and older except for him.  Tears are real when they walk out that door with a hug.  They are happy to return to their thing, while he is unhappy they go.  He climbs into our bed one more time asking "why do they have to go?"

As parents, we work hard juggling the life and emotions of this gang.  We tag team phone calls, text messages, and emails.  We use to pass each other walking various chatting or crying toddlers in and out of church.  Now we pass each other driving from state to state.  Between moves, graduation, job changes, and deployments, someone is always doing something and someone is always adjusting to something else.

So what do you do when you barely have margin in your own life with wins, losses, and disappointments?

You call upon the One who can sustain us all.  We look to the Lord to refresh, heal, and energize.  We snuggle one more time with the 10 year old showing him how to give all his cares to his Heavenly Father.  We remind older kids...you are his world don't forget to check in on him. 

We share with him how to pray for his siblings and look forward to the next gathering.  We remind him to be thankful for the moments we do get.  Letting him know it's okay to mourn for a moment.  Just don't stay there.

The good news with a large family...someone may have left, Mallory!
But someone may be returning, Abbey!

Now excuse me while we rescue the daughter with a broken down car!  The car that couldn't make it just 3 more months!  Just 3 more months is all we needed! haha

Give it 5 minutes...something will change!  Life is forever moving and we learn to look to the Lord as we flex with reality while we snuggle the 10 year old living in a grown up world!

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