'You are My people'

I woke up to a dark, cloudy sky that made me want to stay in bed forever, which is how I feel basically every morning a feeling I never, ever experience, I assure you. Mornings like these remind us how lucky we were to have a day like yesterday. . .

The sun was shining, the birds were whistling, and I was driving home with the sun roof open and the Punch Brothers singing. I couldn't resist a run in this blissful spring, slightly sweltering warm weather. Still huffing, puffing, and gasping for breath breathing hard, I crawled walked onto the back porch to see Jer shooting his bow, Jonathan slowly, rhythmically swaying in the hammock, and Macy close behind, her tail wagging violently.
I had to pause and thank the Lord - for the chance for my boys to just be boys (something so many boys completely miss out on these days); for the good old south in April; for days like today; for God's overwhelming love in every little thing, even when I am ungrateful and presumptive. His blessings are all around me and continue, whether I have thanked Him or not.
Can you imagine such selfless love in a human? Just think of it: a man or a woman who continues to pour out love even when that love is not the slightest bit reciprocated? That is surely a rare thing, if not an entirely impossible thing. Picture the greatest, kindest, most selfless human being ever to walk the earth. Observe as he not only cares for the dirtiest, scummiest, most self-absorbed human being that ever lived, but he takes him into his home, adopts him, and loves him as his own son - even when that son goes about his business and forgets this man's unspeakable kindness. Now multiply that x 100 and you'll get some faint idea of God's love for us.

In Hosea 2:23, the Lord says to a rebellious, stiff-necked Israel:

"And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy;
Then I will say to those who were not My people,
‘You are My people!’
And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’”

It was too perfect not to soak in every last bit of sunlight. I pulled out my paints and the boys rotated to the trampoline. 

Today, in spite of the clouds, there is so much to be thankful for. Have you thanked Him for His many kindnesses? Look around you and be thankful. The true child of God ought to be the happiest being in all the world.

Monday. Yes, we all have those Mondays.

I don't have free time anymore. I have no life. Homework ate my life.

But I'm learning discipline. I'm learning things. Important Things. Like what really began that great era of Modernity, its 3 causes and effects, the many (many, many) philosophies of modernity, such as those of Voltaire and Descartes (some men who were really crazy in the head, pretty much). I'm learning to dig deeper, to analyze, and to fully understand the classical literature of the 19th & 20th centuries. I'm being taught math and the rhetoric of Aristotle, of the necessary skills of writing and English and the sciences. I'm learning about music and of the beauty of the art of the Impressionists, which we are learning identify and to copy. (My favorite would have to be Monet, by the way.)

Why am I complaining? I have no right to. This education of mine is a privilege, not a duty, it's not even a right. I think of women of the past who weren't well educated, who didn't have this opportunity that I have. I have this great gift of a good education. So why am I dragging my feet? Why am I complaining? I'm reading Jane Austen for school, for crying out loud! Why on earth would I complain about that?

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." -Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever I do! Yes students, even school, even this busload of homework (that my mind is going back to. . .yet I'm sitting here typing away about it on Blogspot)! Even on Monday when I just don't feel up to jumping out of bed to scribble and scratch away on college-ruled notebook paper with my dull pencil. Even when I have to work at using my brain because sometimes it takes time to defrost after the weekend has done so well at freezing it solid. I am called to do it as unto the Lord. Students, we can go about doing this as unto HIM. Shouldn't we do so with a happy heart? A heart glad to serve Him? A heart so overwhelmed with the love and joy of Christ that doing even the hard tasks would become easy?

(And it might make things easier if I do something which requires thought over the weekend. I suppose pulling out some Sodoku or crossword puzzles wouldn't hurt. . .)

Oh, happy Monday.

Happy things.