Ponderings.....

I was going to try to get in "Boot Making" Part 2 this week. But as you can see it didn't happen. Lots going on out at the ole boot shop and maybe I will get it done over the weekend.

Early Tuesday morning our phone rang. It was DD#2 and she was desperate. It seems that their heater had gone out in the night. A night that the temps dipped down into the single didgets. Way down. They were a little cold family and they needed a home. One with a huge woodstove that may keep Pappy busy cutting and hauling wood, but never needs electricity to keep us warm.

In a little while here they came. And they stayed most of the week. It has been a fun week, and a little hectic. I had forgotten just how much work a 2 year old can be and how needy a baby really is. Ma is tired. DD#2 is tired. It is hard keeping up with the Littles, and I remember that it was always harder at someone else's house. Especially when one of the little people was "tired and wants to go home" about 6:30 every evening. It has all been good, and seems a little strange to get up this morning and not see them. They got their heat back on yesterday so they should be all sung in their own beds this morning.

I think I have mentioned before that Pappy and I live in the attic. It is basically a large finished out room that is the only room upstairs. The stairs are very steep and narrow about 3 feet wide and there is even a door at the bottom that opens out to our living room. For a long time Tadpole would not go up there. Even if you carried him he would holler to go back down. But since he is a "big boy" now he loves to go "up stairs". And it is so funny to watch him. He just zooms up them with his short little legs. But coming down...now that is another story. For the longest he would sit down and just scoot on his bottom. Making a thunk on every step. But now he likes to navigate them standing straight up. I was following him down and he wobbles and tottles and I think any minute he is going to fall and roll the rest of the way. I tell him to sit down and go on his bottom and of course I just get a look and " I big boy" and he goes on. Sometimes he makes it and sometimes he almost makes it. Last night he missed the last two steps and rolled just a little way and did a kerplunk at the bottom. He sat there a minute, got up and went on his merry way.

I was thinking about Tadple and the stairs and it came to my mind that sometimes
our walk with the Lord is alot like little Tadpole tottling down those stairs. Everything is fine when we are going up. Life is good. We are strong and our legs carry us to the top in record speed. We are on the top of the world so to speak. We hang around up at the top for awhile and enjoy the scenery but something happens and we have to go back down.

Going down isn't as easy as going up was. Sometimes it can be dangerous. We try to do it our way, and the Lord is at the top of the stairs telling us to be careful...don't do it like that you will get hurt. Sit and your bottom and scoot. But like hard headed children we all are we just give him the look, and say " I big boy or girl", and we stumble in down wobbling to and fro. And like Tadpole by Gods grace sometimes we make it. But sometimes we don't. We fall and land in a heap. Our bodies hurt, our pride hurt, our hearts hurt. And we wish we had just done what He said and scooted down the safe way. Now when Tadpole hit the bottom I wasn't as gentle as the Lord is with us. I reminded him that I told him not to do it that way, rather gruffly I might add. And I didn't feel all that sorry for him, after I saw he wasn't hurt. But the Lord handles it another way. When we fall he gently reminds us of his warning. He weeps when we are disobedient and longs for us to repent so we can be in fellowship with Him again. And the minute we repent He picks us up, wipes away our tears. Kisses our bruises and sets us back on our feet again. And the thing is...He does this time and time again in my life. Basically alot of the time my walk with the Lord is like a two year old. I am stubborn and want to do it my way. " I big girl". And I always fall down the stairs. Always. And always He is there to help me back up. God is good even when I am not.

God Bless and Happy Trails
RanchWife