HE IS!

What a week it had been. And it was only Tuesday. The girls had the day off school on Monday and silly me had scheduled an early orthodontist appointment. We decided we'd go out for breakfast afterwards, then go to the mall. The girls spent their gift cards and we met up with Dad for lunch and had a nice visit with him. On the way home we stopped at the dollar store and played with all the electronic stuffed animals, having a battle between a horse and a large dinosaur. Then we bought candy and went home. Great day, right? It really was.

That night I went to bed not feeling so well (could have been that candy!)and ended up being awake ALL NIGHT LONG. Well, you know when you get no sleep that life is just unbearable! My eyes looked horrific, I suppose like a junkie's, and I was limping around, feeling my bursitis again...sigh. What a change from Monday, skipping around the mall with my girls, having fun. I then decided to file a year's worth of bills. Why oh why did I do that, I don't know. But I certainly didn't rest that day. My plan was to rest when I was finally done with my school run and then my last pick up at 5:00. It wasn't to be...Nat called me and said, "mom, there's a game...tonight." UGH!!

So I called my mom to tell her and we ended up talking for an hour or so. She had to tell me her funny story about trying to clean the rec room and having a bat fly up out of there and into her bedroom 2 floors up! My mom is just like me- not a fan of critters! So poor dad had to find the tennis racquet and go in search of this elusive bat. Mom felt bad that dad was up there tearing up the closet, looking for a bat, while she sat paralyzed in the living room! She suddenly thought-hey, I'll pray! Minutes later, she got the courage to grab a broom and go up to help him out. After tearing up their whole room, mom got the idea that the bat was hiding by her dresser, and lo and behold (who says that anymore?) there he was cowering in the corner. She told me this story to try to encourage her daughter, who was ready to throw in the towel after feeling like she was dragged behind a truck!

So, okay, I'm calling it "bat week" then, when something suddenly flies up that I didn't expect and it threatens to ruin my day. A sleepless night, an achy body, a lack of something...all of them BATS!

Mom ended up not getting her task done because the bat shenanigan made her so tired. I vowed not to let my sleepless night ruin my day too. If God can use a bat to show his power, then I wonder what a sleepless night could do? I don't know the full extent yet, but I was given a hint this morning as I turned on my computer. I never turn my computer on before I take the girls to school. I know now why I did it today.

I walked over to my computer, and sitting on our insurance file was a Bible verse that I had typed out and matted on pink paper. I haven't seen one of those in a long time, having put them in various places in my house. Since I had just cleaned my desk and just put that file there, there was absolutely no way that verse could have gotten there by my hand. I asked everyone if they had been by the desk, and no one had.

So I walked into the kitchen and read the verse that was sitting on my file by the computer I may have even chosen to turn on today. And I shared it with my husband, who I had just poured my heart out to the night before, in frustration. And here is what it said:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not be afraid."- John 14:27

And that was an amazing way to start my Wednesday, don't you think? It's going to be a good week after all. Red eyes, limp, and every other rotten thing. It's all good because HE IS.