How Are You?

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

2 Corinthians 12:9

In these days of craziness, of a life full and zooming by, in the midst of adjusting to life with six kids and meeting the needs of each one, inevitably I get the question, "So, how are you?".  And I am so thankful to be asked!  But it isn't an easy question to answer on the fly.  The quick (and I guess the easiest) answer is to say that we are doing surprisingly, amazingly well... considering!

Considering we have six kids, five of them boys and the oldest only 10,

Considering that two of those children have only recently joined our family and have a history in a place that makes me want to cry when I think of them there.

Considering that the enemy is roaring lion, seeking to devour those who seek to serve the King of Kings.

Considering that there is ALWAYS tons of laundry to fold, bathrooms to clean, floors to mop, lunches to pack, suppers to cook, dishes to wash, homework to do, etc., etc....

Considering that is there is always SO MUCH more that needs to be done than there is time or energy.

BUT, regardless of our sometimes-difficult circumstances, we can say with joy and humility that we are standing firm because we know the One who makes it all possible.  We know the One who turns impossible situations around.  We know the One who is always enough, who hears us when we cry out to Him and answers EVERY time we call.  The One who allows us to be weak at His feet so that He can be strong for us and through us.  The One who can turn ashes into beauty, mourning into dancing, and who binds up the broken-hearted.  He is El Elyon, sovereign over the details of our lives and has given us exactly what we need to enable us to cling to Him.  He is Jehovah-jireh, the Lord who provides for our every need when we ask Him.

So, forgive me if I give the easy answer to the question, "How are you?".  It is certainly not because I have it all together. I am weak and frail in my own strength.  I fail so many times and have to confess my attitudes of self-pity, grumpiness, impatience and selfishness more times than I care to admit.  I get overwhelmed at this life that is humanly impossible so much of the time.  I am brought to tears often over needs I can't seem to meet.  

But God is good and faithful.  He is carrying me.  He has given me the exact circumstances that I need to cause me to cling desperately to Him.  I have joy because He promises never to leave me or forsake me.  I am full of thankfulness because I am experiencing His grace and mercy, His provision and HIS power moment by moment.  He is teaching me about meekness and how to be thankful in every circumstance because I know that whatever He allows in my life has been filtered through His loving hands for my good and for His glory.  I am growing closer to Him and there is nothing I want more.

So am I okay?  Are we okay?  Despite every crazy reason that we shouldn't be okay, because of Him, YES, we really are doing surprisingly, amazingly well!!