Grace, grace, grace and dealing with hard seasons.

Life has been challenging lately.  There's a lot of poor health around me.  My own family had a stomach virus literally all week last week and I still haven't caught the house back up from the chaos we were put in during that time.  Additionally we have gotten bad news in the last week about 2 of our close relatives in relation to cancer.  Stinkin' cancer.

Times like this it can be hard to press on.  In every way.  It's hard to be motivated to clean the house when you feel emotionally overwhelmed.  It's hard to be a fun Mom and want to play with your kids. It's hard to want to cook every meal and not just order pizza.  It's hard to want to run when you just want to sleep.  It's hard not to eat your feelings when they sound so delicious.  It's a hard season.  But after talking to friends today and reading postings from other women in an online Mom's group I'm a part of I realized something.  Most everyone is always facing something hard.  It may not be cancer.  It may be home problems or problems with a kid at school or adjusting to a new baby or raising money for an adoption or to go be a missionary or the normal day in and day out of Motherhood or just LIFE.  But we all have something going on.  We all have something that's heavy we're carrying.

I'm looking for grace this week.  For myself.  For my family.  For others.  I'm counting gifts and blessings and doing my best to embrace all of my life instead of sit and wallow in sorrow.  I may not want to run, but I can run.  My body can be pushed hard physically and I reap the benefits.  It may not sound appealing, but running is something I can do others can't and I shouldn't take that for granted.  And the house may be in chaos, but my kids are playing.  They're imagining.  They're thriving.  The home is standing and being used as it's function: to house us as we live not to be lovely and clean and beautiful.  

Life is hard for everyone at some point or another.  And all the hard seems hard.  I thought being pregnant was hard but it was nothing compared to dealing with my entire family unit puking non-stop which is nothing compared to facing the fact people I love have cancer and are suffering.  In this season of VERY hard I'm reminding myself: grace.  Grace, grace, grace, grace, grace.  Have it. Give it.  Live on.  Love your kids.  Let them play.  Serve others.  Talk to friends.  Talk to GOD.  Clean what you can.  Keep running because you will not regret this race.  Keep cooking healthy meals.  Keep not eating your feelings even though that sounds appealing.  Keep living.  Because you can.  So do it well.  Grace.