day by day {day 14}

The view from our window is one of a dreary fog as temperatures dip lower. The air is so crisp we bundle under blankets, cozy together. And as we sit and giggle and cuddle and read and my heart feels so satisfied. In these little moments, day by day, love is shown and given and received.

{picture from last year’s trip up north}

Day by day, there’s enough. There’s enough short temperedness and impatience. There’s enough messy dishes and diapers changed. There’s enough joy and love, most of the time to outweigh the heartache and sassiness.

But somehow day by day, there’s enough grace to go around. Enough grace to get through. Sometimes by the skin of our teeth.

Yesterday was one of those days. Our daughter has been extremely clingy. She only wants me. We’re in the middle of a huge project. Our house is a disaster and any sort of semblance ahs been left at the curb. I’m sure she’s confused and doesn’t understand why her daddy is upstairs making so.much.noise. And I can’t walk out of the room. I can’t leave her side. The whining won’t stop. The mess won’t clean itself up. I exhale and think about the fact that I only have two hands but that they can do so much to build up or tear down.

Two instruments given and wondering how they will find there way this day. And I realize then there’s only one thing  for them to do. And I scoop up our girl, her blankie, her pacifier, and snuggle us in. The dishes can wait. The mess can wait. The thousand things I’m behind on can wait.

Because she needs me. I can’t understand her fully yet but you know when your baby needs you. And we giggle and cuddle and rest our weary selves on the couch knowing that if we disrupt this moment we’ll be back to frustration and tears.

And so we sit. Most of the day. Playing and loving and leaving the mess.

And as we sit longer and my mind wanders, I realize that day by day Jesus is looking at me in very much the same way but very differently as well. He doesn’t wait for the moment of frustration to pull me in His arms. He doesn’t wait until everything is done on His agenda to let me know I’m loved. Day by day He walks through all of it right alongside me. And He cuddles me, and loves me, and pulls me close. He’s giving me all of Himself, poured out, so that I can make it through the day, leaning in to Him.

I need to be Jesus to her.

But I need Jesus to make it through my day.

 

“Day by day,

 

and with each passing moment,

Strength I find, to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.

He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure

Gives unto each day what He deems best—

Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest.”