arms wide open

Last night I got a call from a dear friend who is in a difficult, challenging, pressing situation and feeling exhausted and emotionally shot. I have so been there and, guaranteed, will be there again. Being invited into a sister's struggle is a chance to live what I believe.  I listened and offered some meager thoughts and prayed for her.  We talked about how we always see a "better" phase that where we are right now.  We laughed.  That always helps.  I got off the phone and prayed some more.  I thought about how our situations are so different but that we are both longing for something different. Struggling in the immediate.

It was a good reminder for me to live with my arms wide open right now even if I might chose something different.   I want to live embracing my right now because truthfully my right now is pretty amazing.  I am called to home school my daughter and spend a lot more time than I am used to at home.  Some days we do not leave the house and the daily life stuff is kicking my butt.  It might not be super exciting or adventurous to some but it requires all of me and a lot of grace from God. And it is a precious time I want to soak in and be present for.  I want to chose joy.  I have recently realized that I need to fully invest here in the U.S.  I have resisted this until now because it seems temporary and I know how difficult it is to say goodbye and leave.  But God blessed our family by allowing the growth of meaningful roots that burrowed deep into the red African soil and He will be faithful to uproot and replant those roots in Chicago; even if it means He has to go through frozen concrete.  I will focus on trying to make myself available for that in my here and now.  And I am called to do it for Him; to not wish I was there or doing that or more like her.  Ladies, can we all invest more fully where we are right now?  No matter what that right now looks like.
And we need each other to do it,