Yesterday I got back from a truly exhausting 5 days - first, to the prison event and then home for only 17 hours and then to Shawnee, Oklahoma, for a college visit. The exhaustion is mostly emotional, I think. I spent 2 days in Harris County Jail talking to inmates, precious women who just happened to make some really bad choices. One woman, whom I spent several hours talking to, and I really have a lot in common. We both have 3 kids and have spent years primarily being mommas. She told me she has been to Women of Faith and has even done a Beth Moore Bible study. She just got off track somewhere along the way. We spent a lot of time talking about the Bible. She reads it a lot because she has lots of time to do that right now. We exchanged information and she promised to write me to let me know what she thinks about some books of the OT I suggested she read. I hope she writes and I hope I am diligent to write back.
We got home about 9 pm on Saturday and on Sunday my cousin and her family were at our church. My cousin's daughter is a missionary and she was there to help promote missions in general as well as summer trips. We have not had too many people from our extended families come to our church so it was a rare privilege for me. It really, really meant more to me than I thought it would. We went to lunch with my cousin's family and our missions committee and then Jessica and I left to head up to Shawnee. She spent the night in the dorm with some girls, went to class & chapel, and attended some other pre-college events. I, of course, attended the parent-of-almost-college-student events. We talked at lunch before we headed home on Monday. She told me that spending the night in the dorm made her realize, a little bit, what it might be to live 3 1/2 hours from home. Then she told me she would miss me the most. I don't know if she would want me to write that or not but it when she said it I asked her about some other people she would miss. But, me the most. I held it all together really great the entire time we were gone until we got about 20 minutes from our house. She was driving my car and listening to some country music. A song came on about a dad and his daughter. Part of the chorus contains these words, "There goes my life. There goes my future, my everything. I love you, baby, goodbye." That was it. I lost it. She had to move to the next song.
In the meantime, my firstborn turned 21 just last week. And, we are working on driver's ed with #3. Jacob will have his license and be out and about on his own before summer. It is the strangest thing. I want them to grow up and be successful and have great adult lives and yet I want to hang on so tightly.
So, I'm worn out. Five days of intense emotion. Five days away from my haven, my home. Five days of being extremely thankful for where I am and all that God has done and is doing in my life and in the life of my immediate and extended family, including my church family. Five days away from my man. Five days jam-packed with activity and going and doing - I travelled over 1,000 miles in five days.
But, today, ahhhhh today. I'm working from home and I have a sick kid upstairs asleep. It's quiet except the dog is unusually antsy. Today I feel peaceful. And beyond thankful. And blessed, unbelievably blessed.
Serving the King,
Jeanette
We got home about 9 pm on Saturday and on Sunday my cousin and her family were at our church. My cousin's daughter is a missionary and she was there to help promote missions in general as well as summer trips. We have not had too many people from our extended families come to our church so it was a rare privilege for me. It really, really meant more to me than I thought it would. We went to lunch with my cousin's family and our missions committee and then Jessica and I left to head up to Shawnee. She spent the night in the dorm with some girls, went to class & chapel, and attended some other pre-college events. I, of course, attended the parent-of-almost-college-student events. We talked at lunch before we headed home on Monday. She told me that spending the night in the dorm made her realize, a little bit, what it might be to live 3 1/2 hours from home. Then she told me she would miss me the most. I don't know if she would want me to write that or not but it when she said it I asked her about some other people she would miss. But, me the most. I held it all together really great the entire time we were gone until we got about 20 minutes from our house. She was driving my car and listening to some country music. A song came on about a dad and his daughter. Part of the chorus contains these words, "There goes my life. There goes my future, my everything. I love you, baby, goodbye." That was it. I lost it. She had to move to the next song.
In the meantime, my firstborn turned 21 just last week. And, we are working on driver's ed with #3. Jacob will have his license and be out and about on his own before summer. It is the strangest thing. I want them to grow up and be successful and have great adult lives and yet I want to hang on so tightly.
So, I'm worn out. Five days of intense emotion. Five days away from my haven, my home. Five days of being extremely thankful for where I am and all that God has done and is doing in my life and in the life of my immediate and extended family, including my church family. Five days away from my man. Five days jam-packed with activity and going and doing - I travelled over 1,000 miles in five days.
But, today, ahhhhh today. I'm working from home and I have a sick kid upstairs asleep. It's quiet except the dog is unusually antsy. Today I feel peaceful. And beyond thankful. And blessed, unbelievably blessed.
Serving the King,
Jeanette
1 comment:
Jess has tons of friends.....but to say that she would "miss you the most"....It just doesn't get any better than that for a parent.
jd
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