Grey Day...

First, I need to let it be known that I absolutely adore a "grey day"...my  mom will send me texts first thing in the morning on days like today when it's COLD and GREY and say..."It's a poppie kind of day today" and she is absolutely right.  There's something about the solid color, the cold air...it's a challenge for me to find beauty - and it's out there, trust me...

On grey days, the only highlights you notice are those of the brightly colored leaves dancing their way to the ground...
On grey days, everyone shares the same rosy cheeks and red noses - evidence that lingers long after they enter inside of the cold air that lingers just beyond the windows...
On grey days, you can anticipate the reality of a fire actually burning in your fireplace (which doesn't happen often enough for this Mississippi girl!)
On grey days, well...i just bet that a LOT of people Google chili and soup recipes in anticipation of having a warm yummy meal in their cozy homes tonight

Grey Days...
They are simply my favorite.

One thing that happens for me personally on grey days is that i strike out on an adventure to FIND beauty...and i also strike out on an adventure to write...the urge hits me when there is just a little twinge of chill in the air - a tiny bit of the day turns grey and i begin yearning to get back to the journal or the blog - ready to just write for myself. That's another reminder that I probably write about too often but these days, I write for myself.  And sure - I share it on social media and invite others to read it and of course everyone has an opinion, but the point is for ME to get what I'm feeling out - it's not for you, although if you are reading this I hope you enjoy it.

So...today, on this perfect grey day, I welcome myself back to my space...
the place i come to -
unload baggage
celebrate tiny blessings
search for beauty in the ordinary

Today I am feeling totally overwhelmed with gratitude for God's love and grace...

On April 15 i was awakened by my cell phone. With it being pitch black dark outside I thought surely it was a mistake, perhaps I had set a reminder for the wrong time of day? As my eyes began to clear and the text on my iPhone screen came into focuse I realized I had missed two calls from my Mom and Dad and at that very moment my Sister's home phone number was calling....

In that moment, i went numb.  Everything in my body shut down and as I answered the phone I braced myself for what would come to be the worst news I had ever had to process in my 28 years...

"We've got to go to home.  Mom and Dad's house is on fire!"

I shot up like a rocket from the bed and began to throw on whatever clothes I could find...we didn't have many details at that moment but with our parents being in New Orleans to celebrate their birthdays it was on us to get to the house as fast as possible to see how bad things were and what we could do...because we would do ANYTHING to save that home.

The ride home is a blur, we were greeted at the exit with visible smoke and we knew it had to be bad...we don't live anywhere near the interstate.

We dashed down the street that my parents street turns off of and when we got to our road...all you could see was a glow of red - the entire street was lit up with firetrucks and water trucks and all sorts of emergency response people...we couldn't even get into our driveway - we parked and began our solemn walk to the inevitable.

Now I have to stop to mention that God began to show His grace right this very moment.  As we stepped out of the car we were greeted with neighbors, lifelong friends, mentors, pastors...anyone and everyone that could be there was there...in those moments and now stepping away from those adrenaline filled steps I see God's hand so graciously reaching out to us...knowing we didn't have our mom and dad so sending us our precious angel friends to hold our hands and help us make the walk to see the damage.  I am amazed at just how much a hug, a reminder of how God never leaves us, and a funny joke would mean to me even today...7 months later.

As we got to the bottom of the hill we saw flames, and smoke...I could go on and tell you story after story of God's grace and how He showed Himself through people helping....from the fireman walking out of our burning down home with a arm full of Mom's Wolfe birds, reaching down into the sugar kettle fountain to clean them off as much as possible...to the high school athletes who left school and football practice to come help get things out of what was left of our house. People showed up...God's love was THERE and I can tell you we are STILL feeling it today...

Today I feel thankful for His grace...because tomorrow, the builder starts to put up wall studs in the foundation for our new home.  As the foundation has already been poured, our precious builder will begin framing up walls...setting up braces...starting the visible construction of our new home.  God you are gracious in letting us rebuild...You are gracious in reminding me when I got the text this morning about the studs and braces that YOU are our support, through this journey and any other we will face. 

Through this experience we have been reminded that a home is not limited by walls and floors...a home, for my family, is built ANYWHERE we gather together.  We have gathered on the old foundation of our burned home, we have gathered in the living room of our guest house, we have gathered in cars and on porches and sidewalks...anywhere you can imagine...and in each "space" we have been HOME.


You're grace is enough for me...i cannot tell you how often I have hummed this song in my head and these words could not be more true than they are in my life and my families life today.  Today I am reminded that I'm thankful for a GREY day because on GREY days I find myself focused...not distracted by the flashy lights and colors...but grounded by things as simple as "wall studs are going up tomorrow"....and I can be reminded through that simple text that God has carried us this far, and He isn't leaving us anytime soon. 

Lord, thank you for our GREY days...thank you that Your grace is certainly sufficient for me and thank you...that YOU are always my support through every adventure, obstacle, and GREY DAY in my life.

it is certainly sufficient for me my Jesus.