Angel's among us

If I ever doubted the power of the promptings of the spirit, this week has proven to me how strong that power really can be when acted upon. It started off with me feeling down in the dumps one day. I was missing my friends. I was missing my family. I tried calling a few people to talk to, but with no luck. I was couped up in my house during this freezing period of winter feeling alone and depressed. I think the winter time does that to a lot of people, right? Tell me, Im not the only one.

Anyway, just as I was thinking, I should just sit all day and wallow in my self-pity instead of being productive, came a knock at the door. "Dang, you mean I actually have to answer the door looking and feeling like this? Who could it possibly be, and what are they selling now?" If my kids werent the types to run to the door screaming "Ill get it!" every time they hear a knock and peer out the window, I probably would have ignored it. But by now, they knew I was home. I had to answer. To my surprise, as soon as I answered it, a bouquet of flowers was placed in my hands, with no other explanation than "here...because your special." and off they went. It was a drop and run...literally. I stood looking at her with a bewildered look on my face, wondering what I had done so "special". But as I entered the house, an amazing thing happened.

I smiled.

This person, this neighbor who I know had problems of her own to deal with, took 5 minutes out of her day to make me feel better. I dont know how she knew...she didnt know how I was feeling. Most likely she just felt a prompting to bring something to me with no more reason why than I had, and she followed through. She was an angel.

Not 2 days later, a couple of the kids were sick with fevers, coughs, and runny noses. I mentioned it to a friend as an excuse to cancel something. A couple hours later, there was a pack of Gatorade left on the doorstep from her. I wanted to cry. Twice in one week!? Where are all these helpful people coming from?

A couple more days pass. Brylee was still sick. She hadnt been sleeping well for days. She hadnt been eating. All day long, all I could do was hold her while she cried. Feeling exhausted and frustrated, I managed to pull together something for dinner while listening to Brylee cry the whole time. Still, the kids complained about the food on their plate, and questioned why there wasnt more variety. Unfortunately Ryan had to go back out as soon as we finished eating; to fulfill his yearly opthamologist appointment, taking Madi with him. I had to survive a while longer on my own. When Ryan returned, he came bearing more flowers, this time in the form of a dozen red roses. Im so thankful for my angel of a husband who is receptive to my need for a little extra love, and a show of appreciation.

Oh, Im still not finished, it gets better. Another day passes. 5 days after the first showing of illness, and 6 after my destruction of self-worth. I put it out there in facebook world. People always share their frustrations there...why cant I? More comments than normal came my way, the "Oh I hope you dont get it" to " I know how your feeling" and "I hope your feeling better soon". But one person in particular decided to come to my rescue...again. A couple hours later, I received yet another knock at the door. It was another angel, this time bearing the most awesome care package you could ask for. Complete with a full dinner, boxes of Kleenex (which I happened to be totally out of after all the nose wiping going on), mineral water, popsicles for the kids, and a Take 5 (candy bar) for me. I was so relieved that I didnt have to come up with another dinner through crying children again. Seriously, what did I do to deserve this outpouring of love? Ryan aside, I havent done anything noteworthy for these people, and here they were serving me and my family. 4 different angels, 4 different days all in the same week, and all following promptings to serve. I didnt ask for this. They didnt ask either, they only acted.

So I have had my eyes opened. If I learned anything from all this, it is that I want to be like them. I want to be the kind of person who can pick up on a prompting and follow through with it, even if I dont know why. No questions asked. Just do it. Ill feel better, and I know they will too. I also learned, that even in the winter months, Im not alone. I do have friends here, people who care about me. Silly me, thinking no one cared. How wrong I was! We are never alone. Someone knew what I needed, and showed me His love. His love through the kindness of others.

And if you are wondering, There is still sickness at our house. Im feeling it, Brylee is still feeling it. With the 7 of us, it may be a while before it works its nasty way through us all and goes away. But somehow, now it feels a little bit easier to handle.

Thank you to all my angel's this week!

*Also, if you happen to have your sound muted, take a second to listen to the first song on my playlist at the bottom. Its perfect for this! Love it!*

A Good Day

Just a quick shout out to our friends the Hess'. Maybe you have been following their story (link on the side of the blog), maybe you have helped them out, and maybe you have even prayed for them. If you have, then this is for you. The news as of yesterday is that he has BEATEN cancer! He is now in REMISSION! We are so happy for them and grateful that ours and many others prayers have been answered! This couple is amazing! If you have followed their blog, you know. They have both been through so much and have fought it all with love, determination and faith. The way Margie put together a whole support system and kept it together for him was inspiring. I know their love and faith has grown from this experience, along with all of those who have supported them. We are so blessed to have gotten to know them, only if it was for a short time, and so happy and relieved that they have pulled through this! Thanks to everyone who prayed and helped them even when you didnt know them personally.

WAY TO GO GUYS! TEAM RYAN HESS RULES!

One word

The new year is upon us again, and what does that mean? We all know it...goals, resolutions, expectations, new hopes, dreams and...blah blah blah. Let me just say this: these things have never really worked out the way I plan them to. I hate making resolutions, and putting a time limit on myself. It makes me feel so much pressure! And then what happens when the end of the year comes, and I havent reached my goals? Im a failure! Nobody likes being a failure, right? Well it happens to me almost every December. Im not patient enough to wait a whole year for something to get accomplished. If I dont stay on the right track in that first 3 months, I give up. Every year I set the same goals, like reading the scriptures every day. If I miss a day, well, thats it! The goal is broken. Why even try anymore? Ive already failed. I know, I know...we need to challenge ourselves. But I resolve simply - to improve. Improve on anything and everything. If I just try to read my scriptures more than I have been, than that should count for something, shouldnt it? Any improvement is a step up. And shouldnt we strive for improvement all the time? Not just at the beginning of the new year, and then forget about it by March if things dont go our way? I like to think that "every day is a new day" (Thanks to Chicken Little for the tag line.) I can decide to make a new goal in July if I want to. And what is the deadline? Whenever I reach it, thats when. It might take me 5...or 10 years to lose that extra 20 pounds, but as long as I am constantly trying, then I should in turn be at least improving a little bit. And if I keep improving a little bit at a time, then soon I'll be perfect right?! (hushed laughter)

With that said, I so much like the idea of a new word to exemplify, better than that of a concrete set of resolutions with a deadline. I can have forever to work on characteristic improvements. Im still working on my word from last year (which by the way, was set in February, not January). I dont think I will have it fully mastered for a while, maybe ever; but Im still trying. (To look back click here: http://ryheathtaylor.blogspot.com/2009/02/better-late-than-never.html ) So instead of giving up on my last years new found inspiration, Im going to add to it. I think after trying to cherish and appreciate my children more last year, and worry less...I have lost a lot of my patience. And I need to get it back to be able to look past all those little things that shouldnt matter. So my added word to strive for now is:

PATIENCE

One would think that with 5 kids, you must have gained a lot of patience. But I think with every child I have had, I have lost a little bit more of it, until presently I'm almost completely out. While I tried to come up with all the ways to describe why I need to replenish my patience, I realized there are so many different forms of that word. So I decided to start in the dictionary. Heres what I found:

Main Entry: 1pa·tient
Pronunciation: \ˈpā-shənt\
Function: adjective
1 : bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint

2 : manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain

3 : not hasty or impetuous

4 : steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity

5 a : able or willing to bear —used with of b : susceptible, admitting

— pa·tient·ly adverb

Yep. I need to work on all of em. I dont think Im much of a complainer like in def. 1, but I dont know that I bear my burdens calmly. I hate it when things go wrong. I hate it when my kids do certain things and I end up yelling at them. (Look, I just complained...and Im gonna do more just to prove a point. Just know I dont normally do this, and have PATIENCE with me! ;) ) I need to calm down. Things really arent as bad as I make them. Whats the big deal if Im in a hurry to get out the door and Zack wants to wear his snow boots to church? I can be a sane, rational adult and talk to him calmly about putting his church shoes on, instead of freaking out and ripping the boots off of him and screaming "GET IN THE CAR!" to all the other kids. And if he doesnt listen, then whos really going to care if he's wearing snow boots with his dress pants to church? He's 2!

And if that old lady in front of me is driving 5 miles under the speed limit, do I need to pass her or ride her bumper? No. By the time I get around her I will most likely get stopped at a red light and she will be right back there behind me, stopped with me. It could only possibly shave off an extra minute or two in the end. What difference does that make?

And then theres having to wait for people. I have always been a pretty punctual person, so when Im ready to go, and Im left sitting in the car waiting, it drives me crazy! When Im ready to play a game and people are sitting there talking, Im like"C'mon people! Lets get with the program and do what we came here to do!" When its time to eat...we eat! When its time to play...we play! There just isnt time for anything else but what is on my agenda! Why dont people understand that! Of course Im being sarcastic, and I hope you sensed that. The point is, PATIENCE Heather.

Patience with getting that new job or promotion. Patience with fixing all the little blemishes around the house, or getting the basement done. Patience with reaching that desired, (seemingly impossible) waistline. Patience with my goals. Patience with my family. Patience with myself. Patience in all things.

I love the last definition in the dictionary, where it says "able or willing to bear ". If we are not patient with other people, how can we be sensitive to their needs? How can we help those around us when we are only thinking about the mile long list we need to do for ourselves, or where we need to be in the next 5 hours? How can we understand them? What Ive realized, is that on the rare occasion when I am being patient, at least with my kids...I listen better. They listen better. They behave better, because I listened and didnt get upset right away, or jump to conclusions or place blame. If I honestly sit down with them and listen and talk in a calm voice and try to reason with them the best that I can, eventually they will calm down in return. Its like a fungus...it spreads! Patience spreads like happiness! And if we are all a little happier, then I can cherish my time with them more.