Can You Say "Melt down?"

Yep, that would be me today! I have been asking for prayer from you all and my teammates for patience (especially with PJ) and yesterday and today have been my test ...and I might add I have failed miserably both days. Today started off fine except that I was absolutely exhausted when I woke up at 6:30 (I was able to sleep in an extra half hour...whoo-hoo!). So, I went with the boys to study Thai in the morning, returned home, fed PJ and put him down for his afternoon nap at 1PM. We were supposed to have this termite exterminator guy show up at 2 so I had to clean the rooms up a little before he arrived (which by the way, he never showed.). So, then I sat down on the couch just to take a 10 minute nap (at around 2:3o) before getting up to do the ironing (that I mentioned in the last post) and guess who appears at the bottom of the steps...yep, PJ! He never went to sleep. He was busy taking apart the lego trucks we made for his birthday. I didn't hear a peep out of his room and thought for sure he had to have been asleep. So, I decided to go ahead and start ironing the pile of laundry. About fifteen minutes into that, Calvin woke up. So, yeah, I lost it at that point. I cried and was comforted by my three year old who was saying, "It's ok mommy, don't cry." I was missing home, my mom, a drying machine (!), and just the normalness of home. I thought for sure I was over this whole missing home from time to time thing but no, it still happens. So, I regrouped with the Lord. I asked Him to help, I asked His Spirit to grant me patience and love and strength to get thru the day. I am happy to report that after Calvin woke up and I fed him we went outside for a bike ride/walk and ended up being outside for nearly three hours, talking to neighbors and playing with the neighborhood kids. I didn't want to go out today but I knew I had to burn off some of PJ's energy. When we returned, I was much happier and even encouraged at the many opportunities I had to meet new people and share part of me with them. I must admit that when I am tired I really get grumpy and no, that isn't an excuse for being impatient but just a prayer request...that the Lord would grant me some self-control when I am tired.

There is one other thing I would like to mention that I forgot to mention in my last post. Last night Catherine and her dad were here for supper. Her father is a grandfather of four lovely children (whom I have never met but have seen pics of on Catherine's blog). Anyway, Carl just stepped right in with our boys and treated them like his own. It was wonderful and PJ took right to him. He even read PJ a story from his Thomas book (and remember they had just gotten off the plane the night before!). It blessed me so much to see Christ's body, the Church at work in this way. I don't say that to make mom and dad Henry and mom and dad Carrier sad but I say it to encourage you all. God is meeting our needs and the children's needs. There are so many visitors who love on them when they are here...they have so many "aunties and uncles." It reminds me that we have to be constantly reminded that our Family is huge and we are all born of the same Blood, and that we are meant to support and love one another, the world over! Thanks be to God!

I also want to share that in the above (about my impatience, exhaustion, etc) I don't mean to be complaining so if you read it and think, "she sure does complain a lot" please be gracious with me. I just want to share my weaknesses and this is a huge one for me right now and I don't want to come across as complaining but rather sharing my weakness in this area. I hope, you can laugh at some parts of what I wrote because tonight, I can laugh at some of the parts but I hope more than anything you will pray for my will to be conformed to the will of God the Father and that I would emulate the patience He exemplifies. I know it will be uncomfortable and maybe even hurtful at times, but what pruning isn't? Thanks in advance for forgiving me and thanks for praying.