The girls and I just finished reading a book with the title "Whirlwind"...and the term has stuck in my head for over a week now.
Our lives have been a 'whirlwind' for the past few weeks. For us....for some people they would call this normal activity in a semi-large family. We prefer routine, calm, peaceful evenings...meals taken together and not hurried as one rushes out the door. It's all been good...fun activities, Bible activities, family gatherings...visits with close friends and family....but for me, it has felt like a whirlwind!
My cousin stopped over to visit yesterday...and since she doesn't normally do this, I was thrilled that she came to spend some time with us. She has 5 children, she and her husband own their own business (he is a dentist with a LARGE practice)...the kids all play soccer except one, but the ones that do are on a couple different teams, and now 2 are refereeing games as well. They also do chinese dance and a host of other activities. Kim has a very rare auto-immune disease called 'relapsing polycondroitis'. The worst symptoms are when she has a flare, it attacks her cartiledge....around her heart,and her major organs as well as muscles/joints.
As we were talking yesterday, we thought it very strange that a lot of my symptoms of the fibromyalgia are very similar to hers. (of course, not the cartiledge thing)...basically, just how very tired, and sore we are...and how sleeping thru the night is a luxury that doesn't happen very often.
Living with a chronic illness can sometimes make 'normal, everyday life' feel like a whirlwind...but for me, knowing who is in the center of my whirlwind and who will curtail my activities at just the time I need them....I can get thru. God has been so faithful to show me many times in the past, that when I need to slow down....He is the one who slows down our lives....the week before last, when we all had the flu...we were forced to stay home and rest, regroup. Sometimes, activities have been cancelled just when I needed them to...God knows what we need when we need it....and what are called to, He WILL equip us for....He has proven that in our family again, and again.
Today...I'm leaving shortly to go to my Mom's house for a visit. ALL BY MYSELF! Actually, I'm picking up and taking over part of Meghan's 16th birthday gift to hide over there. I'll be back tomorrow in time to enjoy a local highschool's performance of "The Music Man" with Meghan, Sara, and our dear friends, the William's. Saturday, we have a big birthday party to go to at our wonderful friends home, the Goettel's! We always love spending time with them as they are some of our dearest friends. Again....a whirlwind....Sunday will be nothing but church and RESTING all day...putting on a good Sunday supper, and resting together as a family.
And so, the whirlwind continues....with God at the center directing everything. It will slow down when He determines....and I'm just along for the ride! Have a blessed weekend everyone! ~Sue~
