Quiet Evenings

As much as I love a new adventure or a date night out, I appreciate quiet evenings at home.   Especially tonight.  I've been dreading today, Monday, and I thought surely by this evening I'd be pulling out my hair, on the verge of tears, and guzzling a Route 44...

This morning I dropped my car off at the body shop for repairs (leaving us with one vehicle this week). Wednesday is the fifth grade science STAAR test.  On Friday we move out of our apartment and into a duplex.  Our half marathon training schedule just took it up a notch this week, and when we signed up, I very naively thought I'd have more time to run after school as we approached the end of the school year -- and for many of my co-workers, that's true. They'll be wrapping up the year with fun, low-key units.  Not the science department.  We have science fair on May 22nd.  Though we have around thirty more instructional days, there are so many field trips, special programs, etc. on the schedule that I will only have 14 days or so to pull that together with my students.  For most of them, it will be their very first science fair, and because most of them have little parent support at home, we'll be doing it together in class.  I hope that if I hold their hand through it in fifth grade, they'll be able to do it on the older grades.

As much is going on though, I'm okay.  I'm more than okay.  I still have all of my hair.   There was no need for a Sonic run.  We had a great review session in class today, behavior issues were all easy to handle, I got a lot done during my planning period, and mom picked me up after school since I didn't have my car.  Whitney and I ran 3.5 miles, no problem, in my favorite neighborhood on the island.  I came home, soaked in the bath, and read the first chapter of the Great Gatsby for book club next month.  Now I'm sitting in bed, sipping hot tea with milk and honey, wearing comfy pajamas, and listening to my favorite Pandora station.   Dexter is snoozing at the end of the bed.  My husband will be home soon, and we'll cuddle close until we fall asleep.  Tomorrow will be a new day.  A long day.  And even if it's a rough day, the day after tomorrow will be a new day.  And even though that will be the STAAR day, it will come to an end too.  Even though there's nothing particularly special about this evening, it's just good to be home, to be quiet, to be still, and to think about the many blessings in my life rather than the stress.

These feelings and these realizations don't come from within me - anyone who knows me well knows that I get really stressed out trying to balance school, working out, and spending time with my family and friends.  Top that off with hunger and exhaustion, and I live on the verge of tears.  This joy and this peace can only come from God.

Scripture says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."  - Galatians 5:22-23

He provides not only our physical needs, like food and rest, but He also provides for our spiritual and emotional needs.  He gives me the strength to face each day, no matter the obstacles I face, the fullness or lack of fullness in my stomach, or the amount of sleep I got the night before.  I need Him every day, from morning until evening.  Sometimes we just need to sit still, breathe, and know that He is in control of all things.

Tonight He reminded me of that.