Seasons

Lately, I have felt overwhelmed by so many things going on in my life. There have been some challenges at my job, returning home after vacation and settling back in, Natalie adjusting to a new summer class at the day care and most recently the decline of my sweet cat Selah.
It has been hard on me. I am up a lot of nights with Selah and that in turn causes me to be tired and my level of patience decreased. But God is faithful and it is his grace that is sustaining me through this difficult time. She has good days and bad days and this week seems to have a lot of bad days. I suspect the end is drawing near and as much as I don't want her to suffer, I already feel the loss. She has been a sweet, sweet cat and has lived in 10 different places with me. Two of those years she lived with my mom while I was in Romania. Those of you who have pets know just how much a family they become to you.
It is hard for Natalie to understand why her mommy seems sad and the whole concept of death is far beyond her ability to grasp. We have talked about my father (especially Sunday on Father's Day) and how he died and is now with Jesus.
In her child like way, Natalie tries to comfort me and often tells me how much she loves me. Because after all love does cover every thing and makes everything better and she is a child who has a lot of love to give.

On June 1, she bumped her bottom tooth with a marker and knocked it loose. That tooth had been loose the week before vacation, the week of vacation, the week after vacation and this week we started on the 4th week of being loose. She ate corn on the cob the other night and still that tooth hung on. Today I had a dentist appointment and got some instructions from the hygienist and tonight that tooth is sitting in a special tooth "cup." We have talked about the "tooth fairy" and she understands that it is "pretend" but we still put the tooth under the pillow. I so want her to understand the difference between pretend and real. Her love for Jesus is real and I want her faith to grow. Because she was "older" when she came home, I feel it is important to be careful in how I present what is real and what is pretend. I can dress up as a princess but that doesn't make me a princess. On the same hand, it doesn't make me one, but it sure is fun to pretend (when I am playing with Natalie) that I am one. So we can have fun pretending about the tooth fairy, Santa Clause and other things that will come up. But when the difficult times come, I am so grateful that I don't have to pretend that there is a God who cares about me and the ache that is in my heart for Selah. He is real and he is able to give comfort and peace.

As I go through these seasons of changes including Natalie loosing teeth and starting school, I am reminded of the scripture found in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-
A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.

What comfort there is in knowing the God who created a time for each event in our lives and the seasons that we pass through and grow through.