The honeymoon is over....

'morning by morning, new mercies I see'

'and grace upon grace flows down, flows down'

Yes, the honeymoon is definitely over. Those initial bursts of emotions can only get you so far and then reality sets in. And I don't think that's such a bad thing.

We are smack dab in the middle of a crazy busy Rock the Block week. Its a good kind of crazy, but crazy nonetheless. I got the sweetest, most encouraging email from a very new and yet already dear friend tonight, saying among other things that she was fervently praying for me and reminding me that my family and I were carrying on a sacred task. Or something like that. She worded it much more beautifully than I just did. It was, as I said, such an encouraging email and at the same time, such a convicting one. I started thinking back over our past few days. I certainly didn't feel very loving when little miss Princess Petunia disobeyed me at dinner or when she intentionally tried to get Noah in trouble, as though he needs help in that arena. I certainly didn't feel very patient when PP and Rach were letting their sillies run wild 15 minutes after lights out. I certainly didn't feel very sacrificial when PP asked for more orange juice just as I finally sat down to eat. And those are just the beginnings of the many, many times that I've fallen short, just in the past few days. I was overwhelmed by how I just did not deserve that sweet email. Nor did I deserve the precious surprise gift a sweet friend left on my computer desk. Nor did I deserve the handful of hand-me-down dress up dresses for the girls from our neighbor.
It was at that moment when God spoke to my heart in that inaudible but oh so real way, "what do you think the word Grace means?"
He lavishes His grace upon us moment by moment. And one of the sweetest gifts He gives is eyes to see it.