Etching out some time for me

I've been very busy, even though this is my first week off of work, with projects and of course birthday breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  :)  I'm not complaining, but I am busy.  As I type I am squeezing a few moments for myself before I pick up kids, drop off kids, pick up different kids, run one to cheer, pick another up from practice and somewhere in there make dinner, update a couple of web items for a project, upload and order some prints for an art show and, and, and.......
But right now? I'm etching out a moment for myself with a cup of coffee.  I hope to post more later, but if not...well, I think you'll understand.

Leaks, Patches and Restorations

Our pipes have decided to revolt this week....and spread their watery deluge upon our ceilings and wall and carpets. Not once, but twice. Yep. Twice. Two different pipes in two parts of the house affecting four ceilings and two rooms of carpeting. The leaks were both caught rather quickly, so damage was minimized...but damage was done. The amazing part is that we were actually home saw the damage done, was able to trace the water to their originating places and get them handled quickly. Because of the first leak, all the necessary items for repair was already on site. The first leak was in an obvious location, the second could have gone on for a prolonged time since it was in a mostly unused area of the house...which could have caused a great deal of damage and cause us to incur a rather large expense. Because of the first leak, we knew who to call, where to look and was actually more aware...more open and ready to spot a problem. The work will take a week or two to repair, but once finished, all will actually be better than it was.

Our spiritual lives are often like these leaks. We see the damage, the outward signs of trouble, but sometimes we have to do some work to find the leak. There is, sometimes, two leaks going on at the same time, but without the awareness of the first, the second might not be caught as quickly. Without the first, the second issue might not be noticed at first. My husband and I have been reading a book called Humility by Andrew Murphy. It's a good book, one that has been touching our lives in different ways. I've enjoyed the book, it's been good...but my husband, well he has been deeply touched by it. As we have been discussing things I've noticed his countenance changing and his mindset switching. It's as if there was a leak going on and with God drawing his attention to one area he's become more aware of the other areas that He wants to tweak. I get it, God did this with me when I read "Hinds Feet in High Places". I had been struggling with life and all that I had been through. I had lost my trust that the path He had me on would take me someplace good, someplace that would make my life better. As I read that book I began to see the paths were there to make me more aware, make me more compassionate and at times make me stronger and more resilient. It took me becoming more aware of the path and the stones that were tripping me up that kept me from falling the next time. As I walked the path of learning to trust God revealed to me a second leak that had a greater potential for damage, left unchecked could have caused a great deal of damage to my spiritual life and marriage...I had not released my heart from a hurts in my past. But God, in His mercy, brought my heart to the place were I was looking for the "leaks" in my life and was ready and willing to fix that problem once I knew that it was lurking there. There was some tearing out that had to be done, some patching that was needed, but end the end...I came out on the other side better than I went in.