I’ve been mulling over 2018 for the last week and thinking about what I’d like to focus on for 2019. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t overwhelmed by the year ahead already because I like things to happen now and I don’t do well with transitions. However, what I keep coming back to from this past year is how much I need to surrender everything to God. As each year passes I keep realizing more and more that I achieve nothing without God and the people he has put in our lives.
When I think about the past year I feel so incredibly humbled – I mean like knocked down a peg, humbled – when I think about the amazing and incredible people that God has placed in our lives that get us through.
December pretty much sums up the incredible metaphorical village we have and I just want to take some time to pause and reflect on the beauty of this village and express my gratitude. December really kicked my butt and I pretty much relied on everyone around me to get me though it.
To all the women who mother our family, thank you. I got the stomach flu a few weeks ago. I mean, I vomited from 3:30pm until 12am on the half hour. Of course, this was the evening that Ava had ballet rehearsal and the next morning her first of two Nutcracker performances and my husband was out of town for work. While I was confined to bed, both my Mother in Law and Mother immediately dropped their plans and stepped in and rescued me and the girls. They took them to ballet, they fed them, they picked up the house, they basically ran everything while I lay in bed. At the same time, I also had my colleague at work manage everything at our office. I had beautiful friends that checked in on me with texts and follow up texts. The innate sense of mothering and caring was beautiful. Thank you and praise, God for the feminine genius.
To all the amazing friends out there, thank you. A week later I had a friend ask to grab dinner with me – we don’t get to see each other often and guess what, my mom stepped in to watch the girls so I could have some time away. My friend probably listened more to me than I to her and I’m so grateful for those friends that continually reach out to nurture your friendship even when is hard from a distance.
Another week in December another beautiful friend and Godmother to Pearl drove down to spend the day with me and the girls. She brought extra food and snacks and thoughtfully, perfect gifts for the girls. Thank God for Godmothers and great friends.
To our home and family away from home, thank you. Our daycare made sure the girls had reindeer food to set out Christmas Eve, they made homemade Christmas ornaments which is the only reason my girls have ornaments they made on our tree. They gave them Christmas gifts after Ava’s recital, and did the Elf on the Shelf and had pajama day. They even took a field trip to the Muncie Mission to teach our Ava about caring for those less fortunate. Thank God for our extended family.
To the husband that takes care of us selflessly, thank you. Brett was out of town for the last two weeks before Christmas and yet he basically did all the Christmas gift buying either online or after 12 hour works days. He came up with thoughtful and purposeful gifts for the girls and our family members. He put together the girls bunk beds Christmas Eve; he made sure that our dog, Frank had a stocking stuffer lest the girls notice and think it was odd Santa didn’t gift Frank. I went to bed long before he did Christmas Eve and basically everything was perfect in the morning. I am so humbled. I am so incredibly grateful for him.
There are so many other instances of beautiful friendships and amazing parents and aunts and uncles who continually bless us and December is just one month of twelve that we have people who unknowingly do God’s will by helping our little family. I hope I can be a blessing this next year and listen to the promptings of God to help our family and friends better. I wish I had all the gifts these people have showered on me, but what I’m discovering year after year is that we we all need community, we need each other in order to partake in all the amazing parts of the entire Body of Christ and the gifts we all bring to the table. So here’s to the next year of surrender!
