Small Discomforts

Disclaimer: I work hard to keep this blog from becoming a gripe fest. Life is worth celebrating, and I believe you can find things to celebrate in every season. That said, an honest reflection of one's life is more valuable than a strictly "pretty" one. This post is more on the "honest" side.

There's a lot to love about living overseas, but some days it feels like everything I love, everything that adds sparkle and fun to life, has been stripped away now that we're living on this island. "Small comforts" that make life pleasant, such as:

• stable electricity, as in--gasp!--you can expect that you really will be able to watch a movie with your spouse after the kids go to bed even though it's been almost a whole week since the last blackout
•  internet that's fast enough to watch streaming movies
•  Hulu and Netflix
•  good ice cream that you can buy at the grocery store without worrying that it may have been melted and re-frozen multiple times
•  Starbucks
•  a couch to snuggle up on while reading or watching a movie
•  little lamps that cast a cozy glow around the room in the evening (as opposed to flourescent lighting)
•  cheese and crackers
•  warm conversations with family over coffee and cookies
•  adjustable water temperature for your shower

Small things, yes. Things that I never considered worth mentioning in the States. Things that feel pretty important when I'm tired and stressed.

It's painful to give up those little comforts.

Though these luxuries sound trivial--and believe me, I know that they are only little sacrifices compared to what others are called to give up--it's easy for me to get grumpy because I miss them. But when I take these small discomforts to the Lord, He reminds me of the Truth.

• These little things are privileges, not rights. I do not deserve them. I am blessed to enjoy them at times, but I must hold onto them loosely.
• "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2)
• "Delight yourself in the Lord." (Psalm 37:4)

As I was musing over this with God one day, I felt Him encouraging me to look at these small discomforts as opportunities to turn my heart toward Heaven. To nurture love for things eternal. To think more frequently of my treasure in Heaven instead of the little treasures on earth.

Abbie's Birthday

Yes, I know this is long overdue. :( Trying to make Christmas special in a new country, enjoying Jon's week of Christmas vacation, and crocheting Christmas gifts took priority this past month. Maybe I can get back into the swing of things now....

Abbie's birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year, and we decided to combine her birthday celebration with our Thanksgiving dinner. We invited some teachers from the school to spend the evening with us. Their presence made the party feel so much more like a party. :) Our kids enjoyed the extra attention, too.

Sitting down to our Thanksgiving feast

 Toby was excited about having our friends come over. Yes, he desperately needed a haircut. That happened a few days later. :)

Abbie didn't understand what all the excitement was about, of course, but that didn't stop her from enjoying herself.

Such a little sweetie

Toby was a willing helper when it came time to blow out the candle. Notice that I'm holding onto Abbie's hand? That's because she kept reaching for the flame. :)

 Abbie's cake was a pumpkin roll, made by one of her honorary aunties. I was hoping to get some good, messy-faced, cake-eating pictures, but, alas, Abbie is just as fastidious as Toby was at his first birthday party. She only picked at her cake until I gave in and cut it into bite-sized pieces that she could easily pick up. Then she dug right in and enjoyed it immensely. Silly girl....

Abbie seemed to know exactly what to do with her presents. She was a little awed by being allowed to tear into the paper, but our cheers assured her that it was perfectly fine. Toby was, surprisingly, not too upset about Abbie having presents and being the center of attention. Of course, it helped that we had balloons strewn around the room and a little gift for him to open, too.

All in all, it was a fun evening. We were sad, of course, that we couldn't share this celebration with our families, but we enjoyed the company of our friends. As a mom, I was so thankful that they graciously celebrated with us and lavished their attention on our kids.

 

 

Our happy girl