Can I just encourage you for a moment? Your tears and prayers and wondering are not lost on Him.
I sat with a friend a few years ago, both teary eyed. Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe hopeful mourning. Our pictures for what we wanted as young moms of babies weren’t our realities. Bible study and play time. Small group with childcare, getting to know neighbors, full houses.
It’s happening.
We rearranged. We prayed. We pleaded. We listened. It’s happening.
D and I decided to move to a bigger house mere blocks away from the old one and we said it would be used well. I host playgroup at my house twice a month, this week was nine moms and 15 kids under four. WHAT? Six months ago it didn’t exist. This is full of strangers and friends and neighbors.
Our church moms bible study had to multiply into two! They have  women sharing, and crying, and learning together. With kids playing at our feet. These moms are reading and doing this Bible study every day. They’re coming ready to talk about it. Do you know how hard that is? With little kids and constant interruptions and not huge amounts of sleep? It’s literally a miracle-same as changing water to wine.
We started hosting our small group and this week we have 15 kids and 18 adults. What?? The kicker is we have two babysitters and a quiet conversation between adults. If you’re a mom you know this is a coveted sixty minutes!
I love my house don’t get me wrong but it is a sacrifice. Our mortgage is way higher, finances tighter, dreams of private school for my kids aren’t going away. But gosh it’s worth it all. My house is overflowing with the kind of things she and I lamented, and got teary eyed over. Our toddlers are coming home from church telling us what they learned, singing songs about God before they even know Him. Our friends and neighbors are filling our houses and our children’s childhood with fun and laughter and company. Their moms are having a few minutes for adult conversation between diapers and correcting and picking up soggy animal crackers.
If you are dreaming and getting teary and wondering I beg of you to not let your first choice to be giving up or moving on. I would have missed it all. I was let in on a process and I would have missed the whole thing. I get to show up thankful and not entitled. It’s not easy, and my house is always a mess but it is so, so good.
If this post sounds like I did it alone it’s because I didn’t want to tag people. A few of us were added to the already great team of people doing this well. I’m telling you, WE rearranged. WE prayed. WE pleaded. WE listened. It’s happening.
rentals and beans 