Swing into Spring

Spring has definitely sprung in this house. We are literally just surrounded by new life right now. We've been observing several critters in and around our house, watching (usually daily) the Curious George Swings into Spring episode followed by lengthy discussions with our three year old scientist on his thoughts on whether the chicken or egg came first, and watching with joy and laughter as the littlest life amongst us does summersaults and karate kicks inside his Mama's tummy every night at bedtime. James is absorbing a lot about new life right now, and regardless of the minute details that he actually takes away from this season (although it seems like he's understanding a lot!), I know that most importantly he knows, for sure, that God is the giver and sustainer of it all.

We've got caterpillars in our kitchen!

I found a complete caterpillar/butterfly kit that had never been used at Goodwill for only a $1.
Finding this treasure brought great joy to this teacher's heart. And we observed these hungry
caterpillars grow and grow for many days. I have also enjoyed James "reading" The Very Hungry Caterpillar book
to me regularly the last few weeks - his version is amazing and so imaginative!

And, finally, they made their ascent to the top of the cup and all ten "big, fat caterpillars" formed themselves into chrysalises.  And now we are just waiting patiently for the final transformation... the painted lady butterflies that will soon emerge.

We've been catching bugs both real and imagined. 

We found an empty (thankfully!) hornet's nest and I watched in amazement yesterday as James walked around so confidently with our librarian at story time to show each child what he had found. I was so proud of him!

We constructed and painted a bird house and have spent a great deal of time lately bird watching from the kitchen window.

James can now recognize the difference between a male and female cardinal.

And I have decided after all this bird watching that the cardinal is my favorite bird. It's funny how our children provide us the opportunity to slow down and truly appreciate all the things that God created that we didn't pay nearly as much attention to beforehand.

And a new season has come for our family as well. After much waiting, wondering, and praying for direction about next steps (after maybe the hardest 18 months of our entire lives), God has opened up a new door for us and the path of what the next few years will look like is finally more clear. I knew and believed that our spring would come. I never could have predicted that the waiting would be as long as it was, but, just like no one can ever exactly predict when seasons will change, we know for certain that they always will. It's the kind of order that God set up in the world and in our lives...we rest in knowing that spring is on the horizon but ultimately it is He that brings about the change of seasons in His time.

Our spring, a new stable job for Stephen after 18 long months of looking for one, came about exactly one day before I (big, pregnant belly and all!) was to go to a follow-up interview for a full-time ministry position in a local church nearby our home. If I were going to work and minister outside the home, the position and circumstances couldn't have been better. We would finally be able to afford for Stephen to finish his remaining seminary courses in the next two to three years and then hopefully move back into full-time ministry soon after and finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief (financially speaking) after struggling for so long. Of course, my heart was so torn and part of me was already mourning (before Jude was even born) the thought of having to leave James and Jude, but my constant, daily prayer in the whole process was "Lord, I am willing if this is your desire for our family, but, also, if there is another way please (please! please! oh, there were lots of pleases!) open that door." I had gotten in touch with references, had my second interview lined up (outfit picked out!), and was fully expecting that this was going to happen and likely the direction that God was leading and the way that He was going to provide for our family financially. I knew and believed that He could open another door, but after 18 months of praying for one, in all honesty, I didn't think that He was going to. And then what seemed like a phone call just "out of the blue" (to us anyway! Not to Him. God is always right on time), the Lord opened up a great opportunity for Stephen with the offer of a job that came just one day (probably exactly 24 hours!) before my interview and six weeks before our new baby boy. The opportunity and details all came together so quickly - in a way that could only be orchestrated by Him and in a way that only He could get the glory. The job brings with it some stability (while we acknowledge that true security is only found in Him) and the chance for Stephen to finally finish school and the opportunity for me to continue to stay at home with James and Jude, my heart's desire and the thing that I have always longed for most in this season. I can't express in words my gratitude for this new season and new opportunity... and even for the last 18 months of struggling because of what God has done in me (and in all of us) through it. And I don't want to waste it...what He has done in me or who He has become to me. I don't want to waste any of it. I want to recognize and proclaim that every good thing comes only from His hand in both the plenty and the want. I don't want to forget one single thing that He has done.

It won't be the last time that we watch the seasons change, and I'm sure it won't be the last time we long for spring again in this lifetime. But it's every season that He brings (and allows!) that makes the spring so beautiful and refreshing.

And a few more thoughts on seasons...(written way more eloquently than I ever could!)