I’m Blessed

I hate activities.

What a great way to start out this post, right?  I’m smacking you with honesty.  I want to be a hermit.  I want to spend my days at home, and not have to go anywhere.  I want to invite people over to my house, at my convenience, one at a time.

Alas, not everyone in my family is like me.  In fact, life in general isn’t about me, is it?  I like to think it is, but that is not the life God has called any of us to.

Thankfully, last week after we finished up another summer activity week, I looked at this coming week, and the new activity going on this week as the kids are bringing all of their 4-H projects to the county fair and such, and knew I would be losing my mind just about now in preparation and running here and there, and so I called up one of my friends to babysit for me for a bit today so I can get some time alone to mentally prepare for the “did you pack this in the car, and I can’t find my shoe, and hurry up we’re 20 minutes late, and she colored all over my project, and what’s for supper, and did you call the insurance guy yet?” sort of week.

As my mom always says, it’s not that introverts don’t like people, and extroverts like people, it’s that introverts get their energy being alone, and spend it being with people, and extroverts get energized by being with people and spend their energy being alone.  I get energized by being alone.  So today I actually scheduled it in on the calendar.

I’m so blessed to have a friend who is serving my family this way.  Community is amazing, truly.  Maybe the hermit thing is overrated.

Knut spent Saturday making our front porch not squishy to walk on anymore.  It still could use a new coat of paint and sealer.  But now all of the support boards that were rotting are new.  The old boards were put back on top, and the rest is for another weekend.  I’m so blessed to have a husband who helps out in these ways.  I got a lot of meals in the freezer this weekend in preparation of another week of being gone during supper-prep hours, and massive amounts of garden harvesting and preserving overtaking my kitchen.  I think that will make a big difference.

Not that long ago, I was talking with Knut’s aunt.  We were just chatting and she asked how I was doing, and I said busy and tired.  She told me that she always remember when her mom (Knut’s grandma, now about 95) was gardening and preserving and just being the on-call support person for Knut’s grandpa on this same farm, she always lost a lot of weight in the summer.  Knut’s grandma is a slim person to begin with, but the exhaustion took it’s toll every year on her.  I don’t know…somehow this comment made me feel better, like I was in good company.  Plus, I know she loved it, as much work as it was.  I remember not that many years ago (7 maybe?) she was my neighbor 2 doors down as we were renting and waiting to move out to this old house.  She was still crawling around on the ground, hunting strawberries in her patch until her kids decided she’s probably too old to be doing that.  They were right, and literally had to dig up everything otherwise the thought of good food just sitting out there would drive her mad.

She and Knut’s grandpa remain my favorite neighbors around here.  Oh they bless me.

I’m learning that happiness is a mood.  Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.  It goes along with love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control.  Life is crazy right now, and I am tempted to look back at lazy days when the family is snowed in, reading books by the fireplace, but it’s all a lie.  I’m being dumped with blessings right now.  One of the reasons I’m so crazy busy is our garden is producing so much food.  Seriously, how can one complain about the work of managing too much food?  With much abundance comes much work.  What’s that proverb?  Something about empty cattle stalls require no cleaning?  I’m blessed with kids, with food, with friends, with work (yes that’s a blessing too!).  I’m blessed with rest and encouragement from loved ones, and big smiles from my little ones every morning.

How have you been blessed?