Day 4-A Day with Christopher

My kids are such a blessing to me, in so many ways.  Today, for the first time, I got to see my son in his Chiropractor habitat, and I truly loved what I saw.  I already knew of his great compassion for the suffering, and his desire to lessen it if he can.  I already knew how much he wants to help people be released from a prison of physical limitations, with good chiropractic care.  But today, I got to experience it myself.  Christopher has been waiting years to get Craig and I into the clinic at his school (Life Chiropractic West) for xrays and evaluation.  Yesterday, it finally happened.  Not only did Christopher take our xrays, evaluations, and do adjustments, he was able to show us what he is busy doing for all these hours, day after day, for 3 years now...He is so confident of the hope that an atlas bone adjustment can change my life, and this confidence is contagious!  His care was so tender, and his attitude so positive, that it is impossible not to feel excited about the outcome!  After evaluating the xrays, which allowed him to decipher the setting for the machine that would realign our atlas bones (upper cervical ) with a sound wave, we were off to the adjustment room! ( If you would like to read more about this, look here:  http://www.upcspine.com/anatomy2.htm ) .  It was quick, it was painless, and yet there is potential for great change in our bodies.  Craig suffers with osteoarthritis in his lower back, and my situation involves chronic pain and vertigo.  After the technique was performed, he led us to a room where we each lay in zero gravity recliners, in the dark.  After about ten minutes of this, we were on our way home.I was in awe, really, of seeing my son move around the building with such confidence, while also yielding to the tutelage of his instructors. We drove back to Vacaville late last night, after a whole day at Life Chiropractic,  exhausted, proud, and touched by his great compassion.  He only gets a few hours of sleep a night, with all that is going on, and yet he forges ahead, with hopes and dreams of helping people be relieved of their pain, and opening pathways of healing in people's bodies, that have been obstructed.
I started thinking about my kids, and how they have all launched out their into the big world, with purpose and goals and dreams. I know every mom feels this way, but it really makes me think about the verse in Scripture that talks about Mary, mother of Christ, pondering things in her heart. Of course, she was pondering a calling to be the mother of the Savior of the world, but she was also pondering many things that any mom would be pondering.  What mom doesn't suffer when she has to let her child go, out into the world...there is a suffering with the heartache that it causes, but it is cushioned by the great joy of seeing the child become a healthy and prepared adult..  But it hurts.  Especially when the realization really sinks in that the child is heading far away. I am not new at this, I am actually a veteran.  But, I will be clear--it always hurts.  Christopher and Mary do believe that they are headed to Europe, and that is VERY far away.  I am thankful for the fact that they will have Colleen,. Mary's mom there by then, as she is heading back tot he mission field in Spain.  They also have Emily, Mary's sister, who is in a PhD program in London.  But, the thought of them being so far from us feels unbearable. The thought of that precious baby being an ocean away from us, makes me feel like I could not survive it.  But, God knows all about that. And He definitely requires me to trust him, and not be afraid.  God has plans.  His plans are best, and for His glory.
Once again, I am reminded of the verse that says  "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.  Our pastor reminds us to always look at the verse(s) that comes before, when there is a "therefore"..because, "what is the therefore..there for?"  So, to go before and see what the therefore is THERE for, God says this:  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."   
I know that God will help me when I need help, and He will comfort me when I need to be comforted.  I will not stand in the way of my kids doing what they know they need to do.  It is a joyous thing to see them listening to God's leading.  We are called to raise our kids to empower them to live life to the fullest, wherever that ends up being.  I want them to be obedient to Him, and to go wherever they need to go.  For now, I am working on not being upset about leaving California on Monday!  So, I refuse to even worry about THAT today!  Today is Ethan's one month birthday, and we are going to celebrate later!  We will 
stay IN the moments, and enjoy them to the fullest. We will soak it in, and savor it all!  And, we will thank God for taking care of the here and now, and the tomorrows to come!