I LOVE God’s Word. I LOVE the book of Ecclesiastes. Love. It. Over and over it reminds me that there is nothing new under the sun. That we are a vapor. That our time and resources and accomplishments are a gift from the Lord and are to be used for His glory. That there are good times and bad times, but either way, it all leads to death.
Encouraging huh?
It really is! The message of Ecclesiastes does my heart good. For so many reasons. It reminds me to run the race with perseverance. Because all that really matters is what I do for His kingdom. It reminds me that every good thing is from above. It reminds me to be thankful. It reminds me to seize the day. To live it to it’s fullest. For His glory. It reminds me that God uses the good days and the bad days and that life is full of seasons. And yes, it all ends in death. But for me, that will be a beautiful day. A perfect day because I will be with my Father in heaven.
I haven’t posted in a month. Man. Have we ever had some good days and some bad days. I have to start with a bad day. Probably the worst day I have had in a really long time. October 6, 2021. Caleb’s esophagus closed. It closed. He could not swallow a thing. Even his own saliva. So, every time he would swallow, he would vomit. It was so so so awful. As with most things in life, we just get bits and pieces. That day was full of just that. Bits and pieces. It started like any other. I got my younger 4 off to school and then got Caleb going. He always eats a breakfast burrito. Always. Not this day. He couldn’t swallow his first bite. Could not. Ryan was standing right there with me. We both thought he was choking. Then we thought he had an esophageal blockage. I called Dr. Glover and he sent us straight to the ER. He has never done that. Never. It took several hours, 2 ERs, X-rays, several specialists and a scope to discover the truth. His esophagus had closed.
Do you know what I felt that day? Peace. I knew that Caleb was safely in the Father’s hands. We all were. I saw His provisions as they came. Ryan still being home and being able to cancel his work day to be with us. The super kind ER doctor who actually took that time to care about our family. Our neighbors stepping in and getting it done with our other kids. The prayer warriors. And Caleb. Was calm. And cooperative. Evidence that the Father hears our prayers.
Hmmm. If I have to pick a best day in the last month I have to go with October 13. We just spent time together and Ryan and I said “yes” a lot. We played putt putt. We got ice cream. We ate Snappy Tomato pizza and s’mores by a backyard campfire. We heated the pool and let everyone stay up way too late. And the kids got to sleep in a tent in the backyard! It was so fun!
The day that we officially became the Atkinson 7 was February 5, 2021. Nine months ago. I know that is a fact in my mind. But in my heart, well, these 5 have always been ours.
I am so proud of these amazing children. This last month I have thought so much about how thankful I am for each of them. And how thankful I am that they are thankful. Our children are thankful for things, but they are far more thankful for time. For relationships.
Life is so fleeting. There is nothing new under the sun. We are a vapor. It’s all true. So what’s the point of all these blessings? These moments. These relationships. It’s so simple. They are precious tools. God’s tools. And they are to be used for His glory.
P.S.- These precious girls, Riley and Graceyn, took Caleb out to dinner tonight. They actually took time out of their busy schedules to do this. Not just to have the idea. But to follow through. Not because it was easy. Not because it was convenient. Not because they had nothing else to do. But because they wanted to. Because they love him. Because they are investing in him through actual time and relationships. Thanks girls. You are blessing so many through your enormous hearts and love in action.
Sunshine Soldier 