Holy Ground-ing

Have you ever felt like you were or have actually been on holy ground or in a sacred place?  I know from growing up in church that I was told a million times, "This is God's house." But I mean really understood what that meant, like Moses' experience in Exodus 3:5, “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” I think I finally got a glimpse.

On October 8th, we finally were able to have our homestudy done.  Life leading up to it and since has been the most chaotic I've ever seen it.  However, for 5 and half short hours, there was peace.  This is nothing short of miraculous especially if you've been around my husband's cell phone on a Monday morning, no less.    We were asked every-single-question-you-can-imagine.  No, really.  Let's pause here for a minute.  Think of a question(no, question is too icky or intimate, I'll wait while you think of something) Yep, we were asked that too.  Then, we took a tour of the house, every nook and cranny, even the closets(including the teenager's, gas masks and all).  For 5 and half hours, we worked so great as a family unit.  During the joint portion of the homestudy with Harley and I, we finished each others sentences, laughed, and remained quite while the other voiced their ideas.  Complete and utter harmony and respect.  It was family utopia, here, People!  Our children where somewhat left to their own watching as we completed this section.  They played, laughed, and pretty well contained themselves for a couple of hours.  We broke for lunch and everyone agreed on sandwiches and chips for a quick bite. No one complained that they wanted that piece of bread or that last juice box.  And when it was over, we started with the questions again.

And then, it was over.  In the weeks that have followed this glorious event of family harmony it feels like the wheels have come off the tracks.  I have found myself on more than one occasion humming Ozzy's Crazy Train.  Here's a glimpse at a certain situation:  We had a family meltdown so severe last Sunday we could not even make it to church to serve our teenage small groups.  It was the perfect storm, really.  My phone was broken and couldn't dial out or text.  Harley and I weren't seeing eye-to-eye(to put it lightly) on a situation, a certain child-that-shall-remain-nameless had tested beyond what is sensical and on top of all of that my sister's dog was lost!   That's right, we couldn't even muster up the fake smiles, we all need to get through church some Sundays--I know y'all have done this too, we're going for total transparency, here) so we just didn't show up.   NOT COOL!   Whoa! We are all in need of a time out!  My otherwise, calm, harmonious family is stressed to the max!  Consequently, in my journey to put down the perfection scepter(forgive me, its Avenger central around here), I start to panic wondering if my answers were lies or if we weren't really ourselves and then the Holy Spirit prompts me with God's Word like Genesis 28:15, " I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”  This reminds me that he sees our hearts and our affliction and pain for the fatherless.  It also reminds me that this is his work for his glory and his work is holy.  So, those 5 hours weren't fake or false.  They were a gift of God's peace and they were his holy work, set apart for his will to be accomplished in us.

Finally, we appreciate every prayer offered up for us during this wait.  It is obvious our family needs protection, because every single thing that could be attacked to stop us, has been attacked.  Everything from health(remember my pneumonia right before our required respite and one our boys needing a daily medication), financial scares and battles, family disharmony, to behavior problems and childhood troubles.  All of this to get through the homestudy and wait some more.  We will let you know when we get through to the next phase.