Life’s Grace Notes: Unexpected moments of perfection, the tiniest shimmer of beauty piercing your heart. The I-was-made-for-this minute; the unscheduled, fleeting, almost-unnoticeable events that make the life you have more valuable than you can imagine or could ever have hoped or asked for.
Grace note: Daughter, Tara, sitting in the chair in the family room, singing the new song she has just written to the Lord. The song is breathtakingly beautiful, outshone only by the clarity of her voice, striking and true.
Grace note: Rocky & Jovan drawing us all into a game of murder and angelic rescue and accusations called “Mafia.” We laugh and turn on each other like there is no tomorrow, in the spirit of friendly, family competition. Laughing our heads off, we wonder why we don’t play games more?
Grace note: Stormie and Tredessa coming home from Venezuela after almost two weeks. When Steph and the kids show up to see them, an impromtu weekday afternoon pool party ensues on a sunny, summer day.
Grace note: Tredessa deciding to hang out here at our house for a few days following the trip. Regular life gets placed aside because of our special “house guest,” and that is sweet.
Grace note: Stormie, frustrated that the new card trick she keeps trying on everyone isn’t really that good. The odds, which are supposed to be in her favor, keep landing in ours. Fun for us.
Grace Note: Gavin’s hair carefully self-styled – with gel, no less, for his Back-to-School night, which is really his first-ever night at school.
Grace note: A God-appointed few hours with Stephanie, just the two of us and me so enjoying our conversation, I don’t notice that just one side of my face is getting burnt to a crisp, just one side.
Grace note: Dave studying for a class he’ll be teaching…in the pool. He is getting paid for it. *smile…
Grace note: Hunter pondering the Home of Refuge Orphange in Venezuela. When I tell him, “They don’t have a mommy and daddy like you do.” He tells me wisely, “God is their daddy now.”
Nothing earth-shattering. Nothing you’d necessarily plan for or schedule in, but sweet and harmonious, the very sound of heaven, “the music of living.” Extra notes and embellishments make the song all the sweeter. I hum along.
It is unmerited, I assure you. Are you hearing yours?…Jeanie
NOTE FO SELF: Listen for the moments.
pictured: Stormie and Tredessa with the orphans; Gavin smelling a dinnerplate Dahlia; Hunter in his jammies, making me laugh as the sun was setting one evening; Dave on the clock.
Oh my gosh! Mafia? Is the BOMB! We played so much Mafia on our camping trip… so many townspeople… so little time. Mwua-hahahaha!!!
It was God’s sweet grace to have a few days with you, dad and other assorted family members to decompress and talk through my trip. Thank you for making the time. I know you laid down your To-Do list which is something you love to check off. God’s grace is wonderful…
I just wanted to tell you that I love you, Sis…and all your family…you have done very well.