Jesus, strong and kind

Maybe the last few weeks of the school year are always like this, but I can barely catch my breath. 

I could tell you the fifty reasons, but I'm too tired. 

This week Ben, Nora and Sofie had their final program for The Friday Program, and while it was all precious, Ben's class song had me in tears. I was probably crying harder than I should have been. Maybe God just had that powerful and simple and GOOD news, through children, for me.

Friday and twice Saturday, Lily was JoJo in Newsies, a joy that has consumed SO many hours the past months. She loved every minute of it and she had so many friends and family show up for her...blessing me abundantly.

A few minutes after her Friday night performance, we heard that Mr. Henry, our first America neighbor and cherished member of weekly Family Dinner Club, passed into glory. He has drastically gone downhill these last three months, but he is PRECIOUS family to us, and a steady speaker of edification to me.

Mr. Henry adored most watching and interacting with the children...from when there were four to delighting in 7, from precious day one with Emma and especially buddy to Ben. 

Ben has very few men in his life, and Mr. Henry was all things baseball and BB guns and whatever Ben was interested in.

Mr. Henry was constantly watching, and repeatedly said, or wrote in beautifully chosen cards, things like "I am always so impressed with how patient you are with your children," or, "your family works so hard at living kindness," or "I so enjoy your family and getting to see how a Christian family operates." 

I mean. What richness. 

What power we have in our words. What strength and true encouragement his thoughtful observations ALWAYS meant to me, always will.

He adored home-cooked food and a crazy family to enjoy it with, and graciously overlooked noise, dust, burnt edges, rude questions, and scootching over for one more.  

He was confused at the end, and ready. But.

Like my dad and grandpa, he saw me. Like Dad and Grandpa, he loved my children.

He may have been ready, but I wasn't ever gonna be. 

I am thankful for him. 

And cried harder than I should have. 

You are getting the theme of the week.

Abandonment to the Lord means to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions, O Chambers says. And in a season of lots of questions, I'm trying to veer towards abandoned, away from stuck.