Annabelle was sitting on our small carpet eating popcorn while watching Shirley Temple dance and sing. Barrett popped more that night while we caught up and relaxed before heading to bed. I even ended up popping some the next night to munch after Annabelle was in bed and Barrett was attending a Bible Study.
Life at the Craig household has craved the fluffy, yet crunchy salty snack for a bit of normalcy after a busy month. Barrett completed his scuba dive certification after Fridays of classes and nights of dives. Annabelle has been busy with friends, swimming class, gymnastics, and ballet/tap class. I have been driving to said events along with meeting ladies, having people over, planning a shower, and visiting new life! Meals have been made and delivered to friends, and we have been mourning world events and the pain of loss closer to home. I’ve been trying to work through the seemingly important first world problems amidst hearing of Christians in developing countries being killed for their faith. Popcorn has been popped.
Stress has caught up with us as we try to do more than we possibly should. In fact, right now we are all relaxing at home watching a “Potty Dance” video Annabelle selected and I feel guilty being home and not somewhere else. I see such need in the world for ministry that if I’m not doing it where I live, I feel guilty. Yet, there is no way that me or my family can meet all the needs around us, let alone the world. But the body of Christ can. I can feel guilty about my husband having a job or I can be thankful that the Lord has enabled us to support missionaries on almost every continent in the world. I sometimes feel guilty for having Annabelle in classes but then the Lord gives me the opportunity to talk to other parents who need someone to listen. Thus I feel like we should always be near people to invest and not be at home. I need some popcorn.
Yet, we need sleep. We need rest. Mine came this week in the form of a popped eardrum. I have had moments where I just needed to lie down. I can’t run to the pool or the beach for a month, I need to keep it dry. This small limitation has shown me that I need a break.
I’m reminded that we will never be able to do it all. That is why we need Christ. That is why we need the church. We live in a broken world where bad and sad things happen. We need to work together and share the hope of Christ to our neighbors and every tribe and nation. We weep with those who weep, we rejoice with those who rejoice, and we encourage the downhearted and broken hearted. Why? Because Christ did for us…in fact, He faced death so that those who trust in Him will never have to.
So we work hard for the glory of God, love people, and pop popcorn.