How is everyone? I have missed writing, I have actually been writing just not anything you all would be interested in reading, so I just bore BJ with it. Things are good here in the Ruppel household, we have been busy since we last talked; two root canals, four teeth extractions, three crowns, countless hours in the orthodontist's office, many swim lessons and our first 5 weeks of school as a family of 8 have all been successfully navigated over the last few months.
What can I say about it all except that God is so good and faithful. He has stood beside us through many mountain top moments and carried us through deep and painful valleys, but where He is proving Himself ever-faithful to me is the plains of life.
The plains of life ~ the thousands upon millions of moments that are neither high nor low, the moments that make up the steady rhythm, the ebb and flow of life. The continuous flow of laundry, lesson plans, teeth brushing, dinners, rides to swim practices and yet another batch of brown rice (I have begun to associate brown rice with my newbies because we consume it now in large quantities because it is inexpensive and healthy) and the plains of life are often tedious, taxing, exhausting and downright boring. In my past I have allowed the plains of life to steal the joy in my faith, the joy in my family and the joy in my heart. I have spent countless hours (I am ashamed to say) in the laundry room or at the stove reminding God that this whole "stay-at-home, home schooling, Navy wife" was NEVER part of the plan. And He always reminded me (when I was willing to listen) that it was never part of whose plan? His or mine?
Yet, lately I have encountered a wondrous thing in the plains ~ a happening and stirring in my soul that is forever changing the way I perceive the plains. The plains are Jesus, and when I whittle my days away there in the plains I whittle away with Jesus. It is amazing ~ my laundry room that smells as if something came to die there, Jesus is there waiting for me, incredible; the Savior of all of mankind is hanging out doing laundry with me and then he sits at the counter while I make dinner and then I feel Him peering over my shoulder as I pour over lesson plans, guiding and directing and encouraging. Did you get that?! Jesus is in my laundry room with me!! At my sink doing dishes with me, again!! He referees fights, sits with me during ASL lessons, hangs out in the dentist's office and on and on.
What He is revealing to me is that the plains are not boring . . . when you are caring for His people. When you take His little girl to the dentist office for her root canal He is thrilled because He saw her pain and is so excited to end her pain. And now I have the privilege of being part of a living, breathing miracle and my Guide through these experiences . . . He is breathe taking and He takes my breathe away in so many ways.
So, He continues to teach me to walk through the plains, He reminds me I do not have to be a missionary to Africa or leading ministries to walk this journey with Him. No, we just have to look for our Guide everywhere we go and you can always find Him amongst His people ~ the lost, the hurting, the sick, the widow, the orphan, the drug addict, or the homeless.
Stay faithful in the plains of your life and your Guide will reward you and just think, you too can have a lifelong laundry buddy.
Hebrews 11:6 ~ "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
And we race on.
What can I say about it all except that God is so good and faithful. He has stood beside us through many mountain top moments and carried us through deep and painful valleys, but where He is proving Himself ever-faithful to me is the plains of life.
The plains of life ~ the thousands upon millions of moments that are neither high nor low, the moments that make up the steady rhythm, the ebb and flow of life. The continuous flow of laundry, lesson plans, teeth brushing, dinners, rides to swim practices and yet another batch of brown rice (I have begun to associate brown rice with my newbies because we consume it now in large quantities because it is inexpensive and healthy) and the plains of life are often tedious, taxing, exhausting and downright boring. In my past I have allowed the plains of life to steal the joy in my faith, the joy in my family and the joy in my heart. I have spent countless hours (I am ashamed to say) in the laundry room or at the stove reminding God that this whole "stay-at-home, home schooling, Navy wife" was NEVER part of the plan. And He always reminded me (when I was willing to listen) that it was never part of whose plan? His or mine?
Yet, lately I have encountered a wondrous thing in the plains ~ a happening and stirring in my soul that is forever changing the way I perceive the plains. The plains are Jesus, and when I whittle my days away there in the plains I whittle away with Jesus. It is amazing ~ my laundry room that smells as if something came to die there, Jesus is there waiting for me, incredible; the Savior of all of mankind is hanging out doing laundry with me and then he sits at the counter while I make dinner and then I feel Him peering over my shoulder as I pour over lesson plans, guiding and directing and encouraging. Did you get that?! Jesus is in my laundry room with me!! At my sink doing dishes with me, again!! He referees fights, sits with me during ASL lessons, hangs out in the dentist's office and on and on.
What He is revealing to me is that the plains are not boring . . . when you are caring for His people. When you take His little girl to the dentist office for her root canal He is thrilled because He saw her pain and is so excited to end her pain. And now I have the privilege of being part of a living, breathing miracle and my Guide through these experiences . . . He is breathe taking and He takes my breathe away in so many ways.
So, He continues to teach me to walk through the plains, He reminds me I do not have to be a missionary to Africa or leading ministries to walk this journey with Him. No, we just have to look for our Guide everywhere we go and you can always find Him amongst His people ~ the lost, the hurting, the sick, the widow, the orphan, the drug addict, or the homeless.
Stay faithful in the plains of your life and your Guide will reward you and just think, you too can have a lifelong laundry buddy.
Hebrews 11:6 ~ "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
And we race on.
No comments:
Post a Comment