Coming and Going

There has been a lot of coming and going in this household lately. More than I would like. And more than is good.

But with Oldest Daughter taking some dual credit classes with a local university, volleyball season in full swing, school starting up for all 5, and all the other responsibilities that you know as well as I . . . well, there's just a lot of coming and going.

And sometimes that coming and going can begin to make me feel stressed and a little lost in my own world and anxious.

This past Sunday Youngest Daughter brought home yet another coloring page from Sunday School. I accepted it from her with mild pleasure and slight irritation. After 5 children and 17 years of school art, camp art, church art, home art, and more, I am guilty of feeling, "Now what am I going to do with this?" Don't stone me. It's true.

We've worked out a system where the current art goes up on a cupboard door for a week and then the "art fairies" come and whisk it away to their fairyland where they can enjoy it forever. Okay, that's what I tell myself. I've never explained this to Youngest Daughter and she hasn't asked!

I have to confess, I never glanced at the artwork that came home last Sunday and went dutifully up on the cupboard door.

But this week as I was coming and going, as I was looking at a "To Do" list that was much longer than humanly possible for a single day, as I felt the pressure start to creep up the back of my neck, and as I began to feel alone in the swirl, my eye caught the piece of childish artwork and, even better, a blessed reminder.



Ah, "The Lord keeps watch over me as I come and go." He is with me. He is my helper. The day stopped swirling, the stress crept back down my neck. I am not alone.

I called Youngest Daughter over. "Honey, this is beautiful! Can you tell me what the picture is?"



"Well, this is me and I'm sitting on the green grass and I'm blowing bubbles and the sun is shining. Oh, and these are God's eyes. He's watching over me."

Oh, lovely, delightful Father!! With me in the car! With me as I'm making up another daily "To Do" list! With me as I'm deciding at 6:05 p.m. what to make for dinner with frozen chicken, 3 red potatoes, and an eggplant that should have been used yesterday.

For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.