Beauty in the Weeds

Wow, life's been hectic lately. Lots going on and I know it's just summer and everything is cranking up. But, when do I get to slow down?

I'm a routine kind of person and when things aren't in the "routine" mode for me, I start to get a bit stressed out.

Here's a run-down:

Daughter #1 is in Savannah on an inner-city missions trip, Daughter #2 is in Mexico on a missions trip, Son is here at the house (I must say being a sweetheart and helping me out a lot).

Son and I drove to Atlanta the other day for a re-check with his eye surgeon. His eyelid has not lifted at all and so we are going to re-do the surgery in August. Disappointing, but the blessing is they are not charging us (Yay).

Hubby is recuperating from colon polyp surgery (I'll leave it at that - lest I give you "too much info.") So yesterday I spent the morning at the hospital with him, etc...

I feel I need to get back up to Virginia to see my mom (who's in a nursing home with late stage Alzheimers). Also, her only sibling, my uncle Fred, is dying with end stage cancer in Florida. I have felt the need to go see him, but so far, my schedule has not permitted. I am feeling very sad about this as I want to see him before he dies, but it's not looking real promising right now.

Spanish class, at one particular location, has been rough; my students are not coming to class (remember, it's summer) and they are not applying themselves and learning is harder and makes my job harder.

I am not sleeping at all at night right now (for whatever reason) maybe it's just because there's no routine, but it takes it's toll.

Anyway, in the midst of all that, I get this reminder from God the other day. As I am outside perusing the health of my new foundation plantings, which are in the midst of a huge drought, for which we have a watering ban,(are you feeling my stress?) my eyes are directed to one lone weed growing up in a heavily wooded area. Right there for all to see was the sweetest yellow bloom. It was definitely a weed because it had thorny stuff all over the stem area. But I felt the Holy Spirit's gentle reminder that I need to remember that even in the times when it feels like life is just about pulling weeds and staying the course and doing stuff that you just don't want to do, there is beauty.