So I had a stressful week last week. I was trying to get my house in perfect condition (yes, yes I know - I should refer back to my own post about that very issue) because we had company coming over and I really wanted the house to be clean for this person. My hero of a husband had to work all six days and was pretty tired at the end of those days, and thus I didn't get much down time. There was no way I was going to ask him to watch the baby when he had been at work for so long. As much as I love my job of being a mom, sometimes it is nice to have some down time to myself. Also, and you're going to laugh at this one, with so much stress I was really craving my comfort food - chocolate milk! I did offer it up, but I still have a long way to go on being able to joyfully offer up sacrifices and still deal with the other stresses of life in the same manner. So, long stressful week, busy husband, very little down time, and sacrificing my comfort food (aka my coping mechanism) = hard week.
So, what did I do? I did what I always do when I get overly stressed. I found something to worry about. I've learned to be able to recognize this pattern in my life. It really is an attack and a tool of the devil - he really fights dirty and hits you when you are down. Now, since I have already kind of worked through the serious issues in my life that really would require attention, and I already pray about them regularly and have my strategies for dealing with those issues, he decided to hit me with something silly. I wasn't expecting this one, but it really was very clever because I apparently did have an insecurity about it. He hit me about my blog. Now, yes, maybe I did need to reassess the whole "tone" my blog was taking and make sure I wasn't sounding a way that I wasn't intending to sound, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I was feeling. I got shaken and wanted to hide. So I did.
Then God did something amazing. He forced me to rest (because it was Sunday). Then, He forced me to go to Him in Mass, where I was surrounded by angels and His true presence in the Eucharist - I was safe! After that He sat back and waited. And I peeked. Then I tip-toed. Then I peeked some more. And you want to know what I saw?
I saw Heaven in a field of Bluebonnets, and I saw my loves there waiting for me. Now, the devil didn't give up that easily. The evil one never does. That one tried to invade, and he played on the fact that it was hot and I was trying to take pictures and kids were getting cranky. So, my hero and husband rescued me. He saw what was going on and we left - but just for a little while. Then we went back to the glimpse of Heaven that God gave us, and this time it was good! My husband successfully ran the devil away (he is so good at that!). Then we basked in Heaven's glow!
We took pictures and laughed and smiled at the sweet baby.
And we appreciated this view of Heaven through nature. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could see such beauty as you find in nature and doubt the existence of God. How could something so beautiful be created by anything except through love - perfect love that wants us to see Him and what He is pulling us to - little glimpses of Heaven!
I often find my refuge in nature. It is so beautiful - such a gift from God. He smiles at me using flowers and grass and fields and trees and water and sky and clouds. He smiles at me a lot like this. Oh, and then, at the end of the day, He pats me on the back, winks, and grins at me like this:
No comments:
Post a Comment