Wells

Reading through Isaiah’s been a little dry recently. You know, one of those times when what you’re reading in Scripture isn’t matching up with the needs of your everyday-feet-on-the-ground-real-life. (We’re in the throes of massive decisions about schooling for the kids. But perhaps that’ll be a topic for later. In the meantime, you can pray. Thanks.)

And then I reached chapter 12. And it was what I needed. Here it is, in the Message.

And you will say in that day,

“I thank you, God.

You were angry

but your anger wasn’t forever.

You withdrew your anger

and moved in and comforted me.

“Yes, indeed—God is my salvation.

I trust, I won’t be afraid.

God—yes God!—is my strength and song,

best of all, my salvation!”

Joyfully you’ll pull up buckets of water

from the wells of salvation.

And as you do it, you’ll say,

“Give thanks to God.

Call out his name.

Ask him anything!

Shout to the nations, tell them what he’s done,

spread the news of his great reputation!

“Sing praise-songs to God. He’s done it all!

Let the whole earth know what he’s done!

Raise the roof! Sing your hearts out, O Zion!

The Greatest lives among you: The Holy of Israel.”

There are times when it’s easy to say “I trust, I won’t be afraid.” But most often I find that it’s a choice to plant my feet firmly (or even stomp a foot intentionally) and with a boldness I don’t feel, say (or just yell), “I trust, I won’t be afraid.” I choose to lean hard into the messiness of the indecision or the uncertainty or even the quietness of God. I can wait. If he’s not in a hurry, why should I be? 

Today “God--yes God!-- is my strength and song, best of all, my salvation!” Not sure what salvation will look like on this day, but I accept it as truth. He is. That is all. 

Now. About those buckets of water. 

Wells are usually pretty deep. Pulling up buckets of water requires a whole lot of effort. Muscles burning. Sweat dripping. Rope straining. How long does it take? Is the joy in the pulling or is the joy in the water? Or is it a delight in the salvation? 

But as you’re pulling, the rope rubbing blisters into your hands, “you’ll say, ‘Give thanks to God. Call out his name. Ask him anything! Shout to the nations, tell them what he’s done, spread the news of his great reputation!’” That’s even before the bucket reaches the top of the well. It’s before you’ve had a drink. It’s while the muscles are still straining and the sweat is still dripping. 

Today my decisions are still looming. The questions haunt my mind when I go to bed and they’re the first thoughts to enter my head in the morning. They just won’t. go. away. But I think I need to visit the well today. 

First, I’ll peer deeply into it. I might drop a pebble to hear a far away splash. Then I’ll lower the bucket. And I’ll keep letting out more and more and more rope. Cause, friends, this well of salvation is r.e.a.l.l.y. deep. Really. We’ve been offered so much. 

Today it will be hard work to bring that bucket back to the top. Today I will lean hard into the decisions looming. Today I my muscles will burn and the sweat will drip. 

And today, with unanswered questions, I’m shouting, 

“Give thanks to God. Call out his name. Ask him anything! Shout to the nations, tell them what he’s done, spread the news of his great reputation!”

Wanna join me? We’ll be intentional. It won’t be easy. But it will be worth it. 

Also, I’m not settling for just a drink today. How bout a water fight? Are you in? 

A day in the life. . .

• It's Thursday, but it feels like Monday for some reason. 
  
  
• Daniel spoke for high school chapel at Belleville Mennonite School this morning.
  
  
• That left me in charge of math. I hate math.
  
  
• The play dough I made for the boys several days ago is ruined. They pulled it out this morning and it stuck in nasty stickiness all over the kitchen table. I had to use a spatula to get it off.
  
  
• Even after mixing extra oil and flour into the nasty mixture, it was still sticky. I threw it in the trash. Hopefully the trash guy doesn't see it. 
  
  
• Oh, and while I was dealing with that nastiness, sweet daughter, age 9, was toiling over a math pyramid. It made sense to me, but not to her. 
  
  
• Then the mischievous 2 year old took the dish soap from under the sink. I asked him to put it away. As he obeyed, he lifted the bottle high over his head, upside down, squeezing the bottle as he went. Palmolive in a nice neat trail across my kitchen floor. 
  
  
• Sweet daughter, age 8, offered to clean up the mess. Thank you Lord for helpful children.
  
  
• Sweet daughter, age 6, had to be reminded many times to finish her simple addition. A promise of "no lunch until you're done" did the trick. Amazing how the thought of no food motivates some children. 
  
  
• And did I mention the several phone calls that came while I tried to rescue the nasty mixture. Or the phone calls that came while I listened to sweet daughter, age 8, read aloud. 
  
  
• Or the cries of delight that came from the upstairs bathroom as the three youngest played in water in the bathroom sink. Mischievous son, age 4 and mischievous son, age 2 each had to totally change their clothes. Do I throw the clothes in the dryer since it was just water, or do I put them in the laundry for later? 
  
  
• Then I hear, "Oh Mama!" This time it was mischievous son, age 2, who had discovered the sheer delight of an orange marker. His pants and arms now have not-so-mysterious streaks of orange. 
  
  
• And we haven't even had lunch yet. 

Phonics Phun or perhaps, Foniks Fun?

Not all the children in our house learn the same way or at the same speed. The two oldest are having a difficult time understanding why smallest sister is catching on to short vowels so very slowly. And why is Mama coming up with all these great, fun, creative ways to enjoy vowels that they never had a chance to experience? I had to explain that when the previously employed methods don't work, I am forced to either find or invent new ones that will work. 

Hence, the chalk on the cement pad in front of the garage. We played vowel hopscotch. It worked wonders. That's smallest sister above in the yellow fleece and orange rubber boots. Biggest brother liked hopping too. In his green froggy boots.

Any old pattern will work. I used 10 squares with 2 each of the vowels. Mama calls out a sound and kiddo jumps to the right square. Then kiddo calls out sounds and Mama jumps. And before you know it, everyone else will be wanting to play vowel hopscotch too!

You gotta' try it. 

About Robin Hood

There are times when I think I enjoy home education even more than the children I am teaching. We're a Sonlight family so we've been enjoying "Tales of Robin Hood" retold by Tony Allan. I'm reminded all over again that every good story takes its lines from The Great Story. 

I love to read aloud. I enjoy reading with expression and voices. I love the sadness or the joy or the excitement of a good story. I have fun making my voice grow to a shout or dwindle away to a whisper. And I love to watch my children sit on the edge of their seats, almost biting their nails as they wait to see if Will Scarlet will escape the hangman's noose or if Friar Tuck will be able to sneak Maid Marian away from the clutches of Guy of Gisborne. They holler with delight when the Black Knight whisks Robin Hood away from danger at the last moment. Ah, the pure bliss of a good story. 

We love stories with a champion. A maiden in distress who is rescued by the man she loves. Poor peasants who need a savior. I think this is a great season for Robin Hood. Because if we love Robin Hood, can we not also be reminded of The Great Story, and the fact that we are peasants in this world. We have an enemy who can only "steal, kill and destroy". He would take everything we love or anything that would offer us Life. He would steal away our very hearts. But when the world is bleakest, the times are the darkest, enter. . . a Baby? Not a dashing Robin Hood. But indeed the Saviour of all mankind. Robin Hood didn't have to die for anyone. But our Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. He was born. He lived. He died. But best of all, He arose! He came that we "might have life--- and life more abundantly!" He came and gave us the weapons to fight against that enemy who can only "steal, kill and destroy". What a wonderful Saviour! 

And someday, when God Almighty sees that time is ended, His command will be issued and then. . . our Prince will come. He will come riding on a white horse with His armies around Him. And nevermore will we be intimidated by fear or sidelined by confusion. The enemy will be disarmed. And as the Bride of the Lord Jesus our real life will begin. I can hardly wait!

Robin Hood doesn't have anything on my Jesus.