Tongue-Tied

My blogging voice has been rather tongue-tied lately. Sometimes I talk myself out of writing because I don't want to come across as never having anything nice to say. I'm not a big fan of pretense so I find that lately silence has been the greater virtue. Don't get me wrong - I Know that I am blessed to be surrounded by laughter and many other good things, but my family is also in a period of long suffering right now and God has not revealed to us when relief will come.

I would be lying if I did not tell you that there have even been days that I have wondered if it ever will, this side of heaven.

I have had difficult seasons in my life but this one has surpassed them all because it has not been a sprint. I can't just hold my breath and be done. This is an endurance race that I have to learn to bear.

I don't like it one bit.

The trick is then, how to learn to live in it?

I have heard it said that if the Devil can't kill us he will take our life from us one moment at a time.

Isn't that so true?

There are so many things I don't know right now. I don't know when Daddy will have a job again-it does not look a bit promising. I don't know how long we will get to live where we are now; if we will be removed from our home-state, away from our extended family and friends; or what Christmas and Birthdays will look like this year.

What I do know is this. In between the unknown and the answers, there are moments:

Moments to laugh at a silly drawing.

Moments to thank God for the chance to get way as adults.

Moments to enjoy a new story.

Moments to teach my children.

Moments to invite family members into fellowship.

Moments to snuggle with my baby.

Moments to run my hands through my 9 year-old daughter's hair before other interests draw her away.

There are even moments for tears and for mourning what was lost.

Ordinary, mundane moments.

Moments to create a home that is a soft place to land, even if it isn't ours, because after all, it isn't...

This side of heaven is not our home, but these are our moments to live.

And those?

Well Devil, those are not up for grabs.