A new Season

This week marks a special milestone in my life, my baby girl started preschool!
It has been so fun to gear her up for the big day, get her supplies, and talk to her all
about what school is like. She is so ready for this new season of life. She is so incredibly outgoing
and loves to meet new people. I am equally excited for this new journey. I love to see Kaylee learn and share the new exciting things in her world with us.

I snuck in a little early to pick her up the first day peeking in her door. I tried to be discreet, but, well, she totally saw me, started screaming mommy, and I felt like a looser mom! After class, her very sweet teacher gently reminded me of how the flow of parents comes and goes best. She explained that most parents have an older child down the hall or a baby in a pumpkin seat in their hands and that it is best to wait until the doors open to approach the class in order to move smoothly. Well, that kinda reminded me of something...it's no secret that the little mundane comments of life can hurt my wound on any given day. Ouch, I have neither of those.

Just a reminder of the pain that stings me ever so often.

I was catching up on my devotional from the day before and was just brought to tears when I read the paragraph. I will paraphrase what it said:
"The cross that my Lord calls me to carry may assume many different shapes...I may be required to continually cultivate the same field year after year, even though it yields no harvest whatsoever...I may be asked of God to nurture kind and loving thoughts about the very person who has wronged me...And I may be called to walk through this world with a bright, smiling face while my heart is breaking...Yes, there are many crosses, and every one of them is heavy and painful. And it is unlikely that I would seek out even one of them on my own. Yet Jesus is never as near to me as when I lift my cross, lay it submissively on my shoulder, and welcome it with a patient and uncomplaining spirit. He draws close to me in order to mature my wisdom, deepen my peace, increase my courage, and supplement my power. All this He does so that through the very experience that is so painful and distressing to me, I will be of greater use to others..."

This is my prayer,
as time passes,
and seasons change in my life,
that I would lift this cross willingly and shamelessly to Him...
and be of greater use to others through His power.