Sewing, Staining, Snoring and Saving

This weekend we did many projects around the house. The Daddy was intent on finishing his project of staining the back deck, while I was intent on BEGINNING the cutting, ironing and sewing of the new bed skirt for HJ's big girl bed. 

Friday evening, while The Daddy enjoyed a well-deserved evening with guys at the movies, I began my cutting quest. I even began the ironing of the bed skirt's hems to make sewing them easier.

Storm brews. Cable's out. 

That's okay. I've got my little gem The Holiday saved on the DVR. 

Crack. 

Power failure. 

Uh, oh.

What's a girl to do? Post multiple updates on Twitter (via phone) about nothing of consequence. Console 3-year-old over the thunder at 10:30. Read a chapter of new book by candlelight/flashlight. Fall asleep. Uh, huh. Uh, huh. Uh, huh. Snore. (That's when The Daddy came home late to tell me about the movie he just saw.)

Saturday morning The Daddy spoke with his parents, hinting at the work his project would require. Not surprisingly, Nana and Papa showed up a few hours later to lend some deck staining and bed skirt sewing expertise! Hallelujah! 

Before they arrived, The Daddy and I had the following conversation:

Mama: You talked to your parents this morning? What are they up to?

Daddy: Yeah, they were just getting breakfast. (NOTE: it was 9:30 am)

Mama: WOW, I guess that's what we have to look forward to! Sleeping in, leisurely breakfast, etc. 

Daddy: Would you really like to just fast forward and skip all this?

Mama: No. (hangs head)

Well, this little scene popped into my mind this morning in Sunday school when Charlie's lesson was all about living our earthly life with all its suffering in expectation of the reward that waits ahead. 

EAGERLY AWAITING. 

How many of us can say we are living in expectation of our heavenly rewards joyfully and drawing strength on the Holy Spirit to get us there? 

Yes, I said JOYFULLY. 

I don't think most of us really want to fast forward all the way to the end, but don't we long to fast forward through the suffering?

Charlie used the example of a woman expecting a child. The nausea, the weight gain, the restless nights, the shortness of breath, the weight gain, the ladylike gas, the never-ending hormonal spikes of UP and DOWN and UP and DOWN batter a woman for those nine months, but she knows her reward in the end. She has something to look forward to. She KNOWS there will be relief. And her poor husband does too.

If we aren't living life knowing what we are striving toward, doesn't it make life that much more difficult? What if the pregnant woman DIDN'T KNOW that the baby would eventually come out of her body? How would she feel?

Scared. Miserable. Left with no hope for a better future. 

Thank goodness for that promise in Christ. Thank goodness. 

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Romans 8:18-25