summer breaks, birthdays, and bummers

Hello there! My friend asked me yesterday when I take time to write and what all the little people do when I am working. Well, the magical time is somewhere between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. where everyone separates to their own space in the house and does something quiet, like read, play dolls, or nap. There is limited space upstairs, so one girl likes to spread her blanket in the linen closet, and hey, I don’t question it! She is quiet and pretends she is in a hideout. As long as she is quiet, I am okay with that!

I am working on sewing birthday pendant banners for the summer birthdays. We have Linley in June, Ella Kate in July, and mine in August. We just use the same decorations all summer long! This year, we are celebrating with an ice cream theme in shades of lavender, bubble gum pink, and mint, so here come the banners!

It is summer time and there are some breaks that come with the season, but sometimes struggle and uneasiness still hang around. Like I have mentioned before (a few times), I have begun to LOVE the Old Testament and instead of thinking people way back then were so different from me, I realize they are the same! They have struggles, fears, family drama, and everything else we face today. They were human, therefore reacted similarly to me today. Of course!

In Genesis, we are able to read the exciting story about Joseph, you know the one whose brothers hated him, sold him into slavery in Egypt (they were so kind to sell him instead of murder him), he was lied about, and spent time in prison, and FINALLY became Pharaoh’s right hand man. Whew! What an…eventful thirty years of life, to say the least, before he went to serve Pharaoh!

In Genesis 45, when his brothers are in Egypt during the famine that attacked the region, at a critical moment, Joseph reveals himself to them. Now, if it were me, I think I would have to be a tad bitter about their evil treatment of me, but Joseph’s response is, “don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.” Wow. God had evidently worked on Joseph’s heart all this time, allowing Joseph to show God’s grace to his brothers like that. He goes on to say again, “It was not you who sent me here, but God.” Joseph was able to see how God had worked all along, even through the evil of his brothers and others he met along the way.

I have no idea what you might be thinking about today that troubles you. People can be mean and it hurts! Betrayal, unfaithfulness of a husband, abandonment, abuse, lies, deception, being ignored, being made fun of, and I can go on! All of these painful experiences sure leave us wrecked but the comfort is that God is so powerful that He works through all of this bad stuff to work out His plan for you and me! Whatever hardship or hurt you have today, God is moving and working right now!

Addressing my human side that loves justice, God also deals with the sin of others, so that happens too. God does not just accept the evil of people and move on, He deals justly with them as well. Thankfully, we can live without worry about them since God has all that under control.

As you begin your summer, I pray for peace for you, and a break from worry. I rank pretty high in the Worrier’s Hall of Fame, but I am learning that despite mean people or difficulties, I will choose to look forward to what God is doing! What a strange yet wonderful concept! Read Joseph’s story and let God open your eyes to a little bit more of His character as you read His Word!

Hugs,

Charis