Living Life

These have been precious days.  At home with my dear parents.  With my sister and her little ones.  And two of my dearest american friends.Last week there were 10 of us under one roof. Six adults, two preschoolers and two toddlers.It was spectacular.Meals were executed with joyful genius. Extra plates and chairs were procured. Daily trips to the grocery store were made.  Meal planning felt like chasing a moving target. The coffee pot never rested.  And, as my folks do not have a dishwasher, there was a constantly replenishing pile of dishes to be done.This delightful circus wasn't just in the kitchen.  The bathrooms, laundry, clothes line, living room, toys, wifi, and two cars were in constant use.The little kids were amazing.  They played and laughed and shared and bickered and cried and hugged and loved.Actually that's pretty true of the adults too.  We played and laughed and shared and bickered and cried and hugged and loved.We lived life.Side by side. Face to face. Swirling in a too-hot summery melting pot. We lived life together.It has been so glorious!  My dreams come true.  To share life with my family.We had 15 years of distant-living to make up for.  And these four weeks being all crammed together have been an incredible blessing to my heart.This special trip has highlighted, again, my passion for and desire to share life.  The pile of dirty dishes is worth it.  The grocery bills.  The unfinished conversations.  The lack of good solid sleep.  The raw emotions.The mess of a-few-too-many people is worth it because the treasures of sharing life are what we crave.  To know and be known.  To see this amazing world through other eyes.  To be in Love. In Grace. In Mercy. In Forgiveness.  This is what we humans were made for.Life is worth sharing.

They shared life together. (Acts 4:42b NIRV)