Even in Between - One Thousand Gifts

Monday, February 22, 2010


I honestly don't know when you'll get this, he wrote three years ago, while we were waiting for Piper, when he was leaving for another conference, when we couldn't spend time together that we wanted to spend.

This afternoon. Or tomorrow. Or maybe next week...

He gave it to me yesterday, sealing the envelope that had been waiting three years for his kiss, presenting it to me in the midst of our hardest, busiest, most telling season yet.

He gave it now, two babies into our life with children, with stress at home and at work, with a move coming up next weekend and the new house unfinished, with sickness cycling through and two houses to clean, with other responsibilities and financial concerns - there is no time for us.

There wasn't then, either.

He handed it to me; I thought I saw tears in his eyes.

This is our love, he said. Look at the date.

Three years ago, we knew it. Things haven't changed.

This is our love, for each other, for our little ones, for our families, for our God.

You see, time, to us, doesn't matter. We have so little time anyway...

So I am thankful for the time we have.

I cling to the precious moments together, embrace the gifts, sometimes cling too much to them, instead of to the Giver. But they are what I have of Him, or rather, what I see that I have from Him. Given in His love, they seem to be eternal, and my spirit responds outside of time, for one can always be grateful.

*101 - My sweet flower girl, who thinks all the flowers we bring home are for her. She loves to smell them, even if they have no fragrance at all.

*102 - Playtime and toddler stories made up

*103 - Hug requests

*104 - "I'm sorry" to soften my angry heart.

*105 - Trouble to make me laugh in spite of my horror

*106 - Deviled eggs made with daddy - the best we've had in a long time

*107 - Words strung together in grown-up sentences

*108 - She dresses herself to go out and play

*109 - Toddler lilt telling her story in the third person: "Piper hungry"

*110 - Giggles, the high, squeaky, shrieky "can't believe how happy I am" kind

*111 - Making story time to spend and share three times in a busy week

*112 - Tiny fingers grasping mine

*113 - Baby conversations, such sweet, soft hellos

*114 - Smiles, just for Mama

*115 - Innocent eyes that watch mine on gray days, questioning, loving, inviting me in

*116 - Laughter in work for a family photo session

*117 - A little bit extra to help with our load

*118 - Sunlight and spring, warming the month, lifting my spirits

*119 - A little work finished on life-giving projects

*120 - Broken moments together

*121 - Caring in sickness

*122 - Long, steadying embraces

*123 - Together


*124 - Toddler "mooseick", sweet and loud

*125 - Lyrics that play in the heart, that hum past my lips

*126 - God who is more than my today
For all that I miss, there is much I am given.

...


This post also linked at Holy Experience, sharing with the Gratitude Community in listing my own One Thousand Gifts.





(Image © Informal Moments Photography)

10 comments:

Maureen said...

Great photos of the B Family, Kelly. You've captured the joy and delight in being together. Just being all together. That's more than enough most of the time.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful post. :) Thanks for warming me up on a cold day.

Sarah Bessey said...

Beautiful photos, beautiful list, beautiful soul.

kirsten said...

So many gifts!! Thank you for seeing these things, and for writing them down.

Teach me to see, Lord.

S. Etole said...

how very beautiful ... how very gifted

Corinne Cunningham said...

So many of the gifts you listed left me smiling.
Thank you.

SimplyDarlene said...

And you are a gift!

What a treasure to find all these photos and wonderful words after being off-line for nearly 3 weeks due to our recent move. Your words today parallel so much of what is going on at my home and in my heart too.

Blessings to you and yours.

Stephani Cochran said...

The spirit of your posts is beautiful. The pictures tell a story in and of themselves. Beauty resides here. Thanks for allowing us to look in.

sarah said...

so wonderful, it's like sunrise - a blessing for all with its beauty.

Anne Lang Bundy said...

Smiles just for mama.

Oh my! what a photo. :D

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