Sustaining

It's been a long week.
Oh wait, we are only half way through the week. Ha! Happy hump day! ;-)
Nathaniel has been very busy with his school, which was to be expected. We came knowing his days and often nights would be full with schoolwork and hands on practice. Knowing it and being prepared for it are two different things. There have been some nights Nathaniel is up until 1 or 2 am working on a script, a story line, essay, or shooting a short film. That is really late when he needs to be leaving to clean the class room and make the coffee for everyone before their first class/activity that starts at 8:00 a.m. (That is his work duty).
For us the morning pretty much starts at 6:20 a.m. If you knew us before, early mornings are not really our thing! They are now. When you don't have a stove, breakfast is a precious commodity and I make sure the kids and I get there every morning.
It has been long, yes, but one of these days I'll have to take a picture of the kids at the end of the day and you can see how dirty they get from playing. That means it was a good day right? When your kids are so dirty from playing that they look like they live on the streets?
These days I have been praying for energy, and today it happened!! I got an extra burst of energy! I cleaned the apartment, did the dishes, painted my toe nails, did the laundry and at a candy bar while reading a book! Those last two things were done while BOTH kids slept! Thank you Jesus! Ok maybe the candy bar eating and book reading didn't take much energy.
But I thought of the verse Isaiah 40:31. (NIV)

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Such a great promise! Now of course I thought of eagles and they are not always soaring. They also have to rest, eat, take care of their young. But when they fly?! They can fly to altitudes of 10,000 ft. They can stay flying for hours and fly at about 65 mph. They have been tracked and it has shown them flying anywhere from 50 - 125 miles in a day. (I found these facts at: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/whm/pdfs/tenfactsaboutbaldeagles.pdf and http://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/learn/faq/) That's amazing. Think of the power God is promising us? Of course my energy didn't last forever. But after the week I've had, it felt wonderful. I still had to come back, and rest. Take care of my littles. But I am thankful for what I was able to do during that time. Maybe it doesn't seem like a large accomplishment to you. But it was for me. I take all the small victories with gratefulness! 

Another passage I found today that I love is this: Psalm 3:3-5 (NIV)

3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
4 I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

5 I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

Now David wrote this Psalm and he was in a pretty bad situation. He was fleeing for his life. I look at this and find so much comfort. David was in such danger but cried out to God, knew that He heard David, and then he fell asleep knowing God was watching over him amidst the danger. And then he woke up because the Lord was sustaining him.

Some of the definitions of word Sustain are: support, provide for, maintain, and encourage. 

When you trust in the Lord he sustains you. It's not magic, it doesn't make all things happy and better. But you are NOT alone. He will be your support, your encouragement, he will hold you up. If you let Him. 

Sustain me God!