Boundary Lines

     What a beautiful morning!  I head back to Chapel Hill in a little bit, but I can't help but rejoice in being home for the evening with the boys and wake up to take Moses for his morning walk--which is now, due to his advanced age and arthritis,  a 10 minute crawl.  When you're moving that slowly, however, you can see and appreciate a lot more around you. Like the high cry of the hawk or the symphony of the crickets serenading us on our meandering way or the bright sliver of moon and planet shining out in the darkened sky.  Just takes your breathe away--all this all around us.  How could we take so much for granted?  How could we not notice and praise the Creator?   Slowing down to see and hear--a good life lesson for this impatient, always rushing, always hurrying, yet always late,  mama.

     Well, once again, this blog has been interrupted by a busy day.  It is now late at night, and  I am in the hospital room with Janie.  While I love being with her, I'm dreaming of crickets and cool early morning breezes and slivers of moon.  Sigh.  Help me to be content, Lord, right where I am, because right at the moment I want to be home.  But I know Janie wants to be home even more, so we will remember that this small room in rehab is still an oasis of hope.
     God has given us so much hope even in the darkest days, and we need to remember the pit we were in so that we can rejoice in the spacious place where He has put us.  "Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.  I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me." (Ps.16:5-7)
     It's so easy to grow discontent with our boundary lines.  To look across the way at others and feel those rumblings of dissatisfaction and ingratitude.  Forgive us Father--You who have given us so much.  Help us to praise You, Lord, in whatever place You have sovereignly marked our boundary lines.  Help us not look to others and their boundaries.  Might we trust Your limitations upon us as well as rejoice in Your bountiful inheritance.   Help us trust You and Your plans for us each day, each night, each moment. You make our lot secure, and in You, we have peace... for You are our Peace and joy.
     And so Janie and I will lay down our heads and sleep... at least we'll try until someone comes in about 3 a.m. to check something or other!  But Lord, we rest in the knowledge that You are in control and You are here with us... and we can go to bed since You will be the One staying up and watching over us.  To God, our forever Hope and Inheritance,  be all the glory.