Life spins maddeningly around me, and sometimes I loose track of the beautiful in the midst of the broken... 

As I watch my girls, wide-eyed, exploring the world around them, drinking it in, seeing only the beautiful and lovely. It makes me wonder, why don't I see it? 

Why do I get so caught up in what is wrong, what could be better, in the sin sick gore of life, my own life, the lives around me... and I forget about the Creator. 

And my little one bend down to watch an ant crawling over a rock. "Mommy, what is this?" 

"Oh, that's an ant."

"It's a pretty ant Mommy,"

"Oh?" (I never noticed the beauty in ants before)

"Yes it is, did God put it there?"

"Yes, He did."

There again, the reminder that God is here, even in what seems like such a mess.  

They find such delight in the little things, my 18 mo old wades into the beaver lake. My first thought is mommy concern, it's cold water, we have a 1.5 drive back to the motel, they just CAN'T get wet- but I see the look of delight on her face as the water swirls between her toes... the joy as she kicks around at the loose stones on the bottom and watches the sun shimmer across them. And I just make sure the clothes stay dry. :-) After all, why are we up here? To show the girls the beauty of the world. Why? because it is indeed a reflection of the far greater beauty of our Creator.

So they splash in the water, watching the ripples go out from their feet, asking questions about life, about the world, about God. And I realize again what I've known all along. This isn't about me, it isn't about what I can see or feel around me, it IS about God. It's about seeing HIM in everything. No, this world isn't perfect- but where is my focus? As the age old story of the man in the mountain goes, we become like what we gaze upon. Is my gaze on the fallen and broken around me? or on the beauty that reflects my Father?

And so I'm reminded of the worn-out cliche, that somehow I still find I need- to pause in the busy swirl of life, and take notice of the small joys around me. To stop, and 'smell the flowers'. 

And God uses my little girls to bring me back around to Him. 

 

'Christ is the fountain of life, but who knoweth how deep it is to the bottom?' ~Samuel Rutherford

Sweet words to a busy mama's heart. We can ever draw from that fountain, we won't hit the bottom and it won't run dry! Life might try to overwhelm. The bank account might be slim. The children may get sick, or just be plain ol' naughty... but even on those days His grace is there. For me. Not based on my accomplishments. Not 'first come first serve'. Not a daily raffle to the lucky winner. For me- if I will accept it. 

I was thinking of Christ's abundance today as I surveyed the mud from this last weeks storms. The water was there, it fell on all the trees, the grass, the flowers. Nothing was missed. All were watered. God is the same. He doesn't give to one what He does not long to give to all. We need only to send out our roots and claim it. 

He is mine, I am His- and perfect fulfillment is awaiting. It's not in how much time I can give Him, but in how much of my heart He holds.

Well, I've thought a long time about attempting a blog. I know it won't be often... and it probably won't be anything extraordinary. But I had a few quiet moments this morning, and thought I would give it a whirl anyway. 

Why the title? Well, I suppose it is self explanatory, but I wanted to have something that encompasses both the 'Mary' and 'Martha' aspects of motherhood. Something that focuses on the little joys of pattering feet and trusting eyes, as well as my own trustful glances towards my heavenly Father. Something that isn't limited to the mundane, neither is simply a journey of faith- but rather pulls the two together as they are, a daily attempt to see Christ in the daily challenges, and reflect Christ through the same. 


Alright, my quiet moments are over, and it's hard to type with a 2 yr old turning circles on your lap and swinging on your arm, so I'll wrap up for now. 


Looking to His abundance, and finding my daily strength in His infinite grace... 


Till later.