Free at Last, Free at Last!

No, I’m not quoting Dr. King from that famous “I Have a Dream” speech that he gave on August 28, 1963 either. I’m talking about Me and MJ today... Monday February 13, 2012. You see, today is the first day in our 22 years of marriage that we’ve had the whole house to ourselves (here in Brazil or back in the US) because all the kids were in school. We’ve always had at least one kid home while the others were at school or all of them home because we were home schooling... but today we’re all alone! Yesss! Free at Last, Free at Last. Thank God Almighty, We’re Free at Last: ) Now, we can eat breakfast in peace and quiet and do what we want when we want and run around the house in our underwear... well, the running around in our underwear thing was my idea but MJ shot that down. Oh well, I tried anyway: (

Last week the 3 younger kids started elementary school and today our 4 older kids started middle school and high school. It was weird watching them all walk down our long driveway together as they were making their way off the property to the bus stop. Oldest to youngest, all walking together with backpacks and school supplies in hand. Even our little guy, Robert. Wow. Doesn’t even seem real. I was happy at first but now that it’s been quiet for a little over an hour, it doesn’t seem right. My body doesn’t know how to react to the quietness that it’s experiencing. I haven’t yelled at anyone this morning or threatened anyone either. I’m actually sitting here at my computer putting some stuff together for a mission team (that’ll be here in a little over 6 weeks), I’ve got some soft worship music playing in the background, and I can actually think. Who even knew this was possible? So, that’s what quiet sounds like... quiet. Huh? (reflective pause).

OK. where is everyone? Is school out yet? It’s been 1 hour and 17 minutes and I’m just about done with this whole quiet thing. I need some action and excitement! I need to break up a fight or settle a dispute. I’d even settle for having to put someone in their room because they did the same thing wrong that they got in trouble for yesterday. Anything!

It’s funny how you look forward to something for so long then when it finally arrives it doesn’t give the satisfaction you thought it would. I thought that having the house all to ourselves would be amazingly awesome but it’s actually kind of lonely. It just goes to prove (once again) that everything will fall short of expectations and disappoint. Now, I’m sure, that as time goes by, that we’ll get use to the quietness of our home in the mornings. I’m sure that we’ll capitalize on the few hours we have each morning without kids. But, for me, today it’s just a reminder that the only thing in my life that will ALWAYS satisfy and NEVER disappoint is Jesus. I’m not just trying to “reach” to find a way to segue into something spiritual for the blog either. I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve gone to Jesus and come away feeling let down because He didn’t measure up to my expectations. For real. And if you think about it either have you. The new __________ or the trip to ____________ or the relationship with ______________ although great and fun for the moment will never truly fulfill and satisfy like our relationship with Jesus. That’s because our lives were never meant to terminate on anything other than Him. We can enjoy everything He’s blessed us with materially, physically or even relationally but to expect anything else to truly fulfill?... just won’t happen. So, I’m gonna enjoy the quietness for the moment but realize that it’s only fleeting and keep pressing in to Jesus so I can really rest. How bout you? Have you ever noticed that nothing truly fulfills like Jesus?

Listening to Myself Think,

Jim

PS - We posted pics of the little ones Last wee as they went off to school. The ones here today are of our middle school kids and our high school kids. The other ones are of all the kids walking down our driveway to the bus stop leaving Me and MJ behind. Weird, huh?