So the exhaustion from all the activity has finally caught up with me! I was avoiding getting sick despite my contact with sick girls for about a week and now I am stuck in my room on my day off with a headache, coughing, sneezing, and general fatigue. Thankfully, I'm still coherent enough (I guess you'll have to be the judge of that too) to jot down some thoughts and reflect on my week thus far.
First, I want to say thank you to all who are reading and sending encouraging words :) It's been challenging to keep perspective on my purpose here so any communication from the "outside" is really nice.
As I mentioned in my last blog, I'm not sure yet why God has brought me here, but one thing is for sure, I think I'm becoming a better potential parent (if I get the chance to be one) as well as a wife. My relationships with the other Leadtime girls (which sometimes feel like how I might relate to a husband, in terms of communication that is:) have been amazing and such an answer to my prayers...the teens however, have been slow to warm up and at times hostile in our attempts to connect with them. But then just last night, I took some girls to an ACT prep class (which is REALLY boring I might add) and it would make sense for them to have bad attitudes but instead, on the way back to the house God blessed us with laughter and good conversation. It was really encouraging.
THEN....I get back to the house and it is in an UProar. Some of the girls were upset that they had to have study hall and decided to revolt :) Which looks like a lot of back talk, yelling, crying, and general tension. I was sooo exhausted and weak that I didn't have the energy to be too affected by the amount of tension that I was able to stay calm and talk in my "non-threatening voice". Later that night one of the more distant girls shared some hard stuff with me and the evening was redeemed!!!! God is so amazing, He uses hard situations for good and I feel so blessed to be a part of that.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" 2 Cor: 9
"And we know that ALL things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28
My prayer request right now is that God would continue to keep us Leadtime girls unified and areas where we could be stronger are illuminated, despite the pain that may involve. And for the girls, that they would be open to Christ's healing power. There is much healing that is needed here.
Love to all on the 'outside' :)
j
