One of Those Days...

Yesterday was one of those days. Not one where everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong, but just one of those days when you feel overwhelmed to the point of being discouraged and de-energized. I woke up either tired or uninspired. I'm still not sure which. But everywhere I looked, there was work to do: laundry, dishes, cleaning, picking up toys; I felt defeated.

Those days come and go. But they go faster than they come. They are painful to get through when we are working against feelings of defeat. How can we reach all of our goals for the day and win if we wake up already defeated? That is a difficult task.  Perhaps, if we learn to change our focus, we will have less of those days.

The thought came to me recently when I was holding my baby and watching my 3-year-old play in our living room. I realized there will be a day when I will not be here for Jaden and Carter. It was a heavy thought; however, it was moving.

I realized that one day I won't be here to sit by their side and enjoy their company. One day I won't be here to teach them right from wrong. One day I won't be here to continue to see them blossom as fun-loving, energetic, goofy, intelligent, wise, handsome, Godly men.

One day there won't be anymore toys to pick up, any extra dishes to clean, any crumbs to pick up off the floor, any noisy children to quiet down. Yes, there probably will be grandchildren in the future. Yes, there will be even more blessing in Heaven, but these times will not last forever.

I looked around our home and realized, at that moment, that I needed to cherish the times when I have toys to pick up, laundry to do, and kids to keep me company at home. These days go by so fast, but sometimes the messiness seems like it will never end.

I pray that we stop and take time to be thankful for those days, that we enjoy more time together. It's so easy to see a messy home as just work needing to be done, but maybe we can start to see our home full of toys as a blessing. As grown-ups, our identity has been shaped by all the memories we have with our family when we were young. And, as grown-ups, we need to realize that these days are a story for our children, a story that will last a lifetime. I pray that it's one they will cherish forever.

I pray that, through the example of my husband and I and the teachings from the Word of God, my sons will say, "I am a child of God, cherished and loved." I hope they learn to see themselves in a positive light - hardworking, productive, responsible, able to do good, created in the image of God. As they enjoy the early mornings of reading, hanging out with mom and dad, and exercising, I hope they learn not to take these days for granted. As they wrestle with their dad in the evenings, I hope they learn the value of enjoying family time. Our children can be filled with love, joy, and peace as we receive that gift from God and share it with them every day. Even in the mundane, these days matter. They are life to our children.

The other day as I was holding my youngest son, I pictured him as a handsome young man, all grown-up. Taking some time to think, I pictured him standing before me saying, "Thanks mom." And, in that moment, I realized that all the work I had done for him over the years was worth it. We can choose to see the years of work in this life, or we can see the life that we can bring to all those years we share as a family.

I pray you see the life in your years for you and your family because God has a purpose for you on your journey.

www.williamhseng.com

He Holds the World in His Hand...

By Melissa Seng

Here, this 25th day of February 2017, it is snowing in Ohio and looks like a typical day of Winter. What's fascinating is that yesterday it reached 72 degrees Fahrenheit!

We were playing soccer outside in the sun, wearing short sleeves! Some may call that a sign of global warming, others call it AWESOME! The sun is an amazing gift from God that brightens our spirits, gives us energy, and can bring us a sense of excitement and adventure. It's also a sign of God's power and love. He can do all things and works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

So, you might be asking yourself, "how is this randomness a sign of God's power?" Does this beautiful February day represent global warming and uncertainty for the future? Or does it prove just the opposite? Well, I'm glad you asked.

Even with the days that seem completely random, isn't there still an order to our world? Have you ever imagined what our days would be like without seasons? It's one of the incredible aspects of life that we do not control. Isn't it amazing that the weather patterns are fairly consistent from year to year? Here in Ohio, every year, we experience Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Year after year we experience seasons in that same order. Isn't it a miracle that the Winter is only one season a year? Isn't it a blessing that Spring comes every year, and that we experience obvious signs when a new season has begun!? Yes, we gave the seasons their names, but that order remains.

God is constant, and He created order for our own good. He gave us His Son to bring us light to all seasons of life. What an amazing gift!

So, let's enjoy this season; know that God is in control and know that he holds the world in His hand.

www.williamhseng.com