Someone was praying today. I felt it, steady and strong. There are days when life feels so out on a limb, and then there are days like this one, when instead, I have a continual sense of being surrounded.

Isn’t that something?

Last night I tried to ready my heart for the day ahead. I was cloudy and tired, and it felt like pushing up against an unmovable resistance. I knew that today would be a long day with Jason gone for work until after the kids were in bed. I also knew that we’d be without water usage from 8a-5p, making household chores and things we take for granted a bit more difficult.

I woke up this morning with the single motivation to have a shower before the water was out of commission. Eloise woke up with a pretty awful summer cold, and Henry woke up in a good mood. I suppose that made us 1.5 for 3, give or take. I suggested we get out the door early for bagels before dropping H off at camp for the morning, and we miraculously made it out the door by 8:30a.

I spilled water everywhere at the bagel shop, but the kids were happy, breakfast in hand. I indulged in a decaf latte. Henry went enthusiastically off to camp.

Eloise and I wandered a little further out of town to a vintage/antique/restored furniture shop in search of a dresser for baby. In spite of her clearly miserable nose and growing cough, she stayed in good spirits. She and her long, curly pigtails danced to music at the store and invited me to join in. Together, we measured dresser after dresser until we found a winner. Already painted in the perfect colors and boasting plenty of vintage charm, our newest addition to the nursery fit perfectly into the back of my car. Eloise was exemplary. We wandered about finding all of the farm animals on all of the items in every nook and cranny of the store, and it was delightful. I love my time with her.

I had high hopes of heading to our weekly park playdate after camp pick up, but by 11:30a, I was fairly done with the heat and Eloise was fading fast. The little whisper of, “It’s ok not to do it all” in the back of my mind in on the way home was enough for me to call a spade a spade. Not quite noon yet, it was pushing 85º. My dad, just back from a two week trip to Europe, was free to FaceTime, so instead of packing lunches quickly for the park, I slowed way down and found a place on the couch.

Today was exactly what it needed to be, and I never saw it coming.

Eloise snuggled. All day, with the exception of her nap time. The kids played. We visited with my dad and step mom for a long time and caught up on all that happens in two weeks between travel and kiddos and pregnancy and family life. We ate a late and leisurely lunch. Everyone rested.

Everyone.

Henry even admitted later that he “learned to like lounging while resting” today. The pace that the day set naturally was better than anything I could have contrived with all of my best laid plans and overzealous schemes.

We visited with Aunt Bridget and co. on FaceTime after naps. We ate sandwiches and hummus and veggies and the sweetest-ever plums in the living room for dinner, picnic style, per Eloise’s request. We read books and cleaned up spaces and worked through an entire box of kleenex with our sniffles and cuddled up together for stories before bed. And aside from the usual pre-bedtime antics, the littles settled into sleep without much resistance, which was heaven sent.

A 90º day without daddy or water–one that began with a cancelled playdate and more cancelled plans throughout the day, could have turned out much differently. I suppose I might have expected it to. But someone covered our day (and certainly my disposition) today in prayer, and God heard and answered.

I didn’t feel outside of myself like I’ve felt so readily in the heat of pregnancy and summer in recent days. I felt composed and level and far more like the mom and the me I want to be every day–the one that I fall short of more often than I want to admit.

There was peace and grace abundant for our little family today. In the most exasperating moments (sibling squabbles, crazy construction traffic and detours, heat, heat, and more heat, no flushing toilets…) I just felt settled.

The power of my belief in a sovereign God who hears our requests and answers them according to His will is overwhelming in the best way.

Really, there’s no reason why today was so composed and smooth, save that I believe someone (or multiple someones) lifted me up. We can never underestimate the power of our prayers and petitions to God, and we may never know just how they were answered in impacting ways for people we love and care about (or others we’ve never even met).

It’s humbling to serve a Creator who loves us enough to allow us a role in affecting change here on earth.

I am so thankful for today. For the unexpected delights, for time with my sweet girl, for Henry being Henry, and for time to connect with people I love. For living room picnics, nursery dressers, corporate rest time and twirling among antiques, today was unordinary out of ordinary. It was lemonade from lemons and unadulterated grace pouring out and over every crack and crevice and seam.

In the mess of the daily, I sometimes forget how powerful a God we serve. But He is Mighty, and He cares for us.

still twirling a little,

mm