How do you do it?

How do they do it?  I often have wondered this in the past about people.  On the outside they seem like regular people yet somehow they are doing something superhuman in my mind.  It might be financial, maybe they appear to be making the same money as us and yet can do things we can't, maybe they are crafty, raising many children, or making the work/family balance look easy.  It could be so many things.  And I wonder, "how do they do it?" 

Then someone asks me, "How do you do it?" 

How do I do what?  What am I doing?  I feel like I am just surviving.  Don't you ask that question to people who are really doing it?  Doing something?  Making it look easy?

I guess it is all in perspective.  What I am not totally sure I am even doing seems to look easy to the outsider.  The truth is nothing is easy.

But since you asked let's talk about how I do it.  Whatever "it" is.

First of all, I would like to give all the glory to God the Father...Oh sorry that is my award speech for when I win the Emmy.  Still I really couldn't do it without the help and guidance of the Lord.  I cry out to Him all my doubts and fears, all my failures and frustrations and He picks me up, brushes me off, sets me back and the path, grabs my hand and helps me walk forward again with more confidence and peace because I know I am not alone.  Thank you Lord.

Second of all, there is a saying, "if you want something done ask a busy person to do it."  John had an interesting conversation with a fellow student this week.  They were talking about an upcoming mid-term in one of John's classes and the kid John was talking to told him that he should definitely not skip the class where they do the review.  John looks at him and says, "I'm old, I don't skip class."   When you have totally up-ended your life to go back to school you do not skip class because you don't feel like going.  When John isn't at school he is either working or doing homework.  And with the minuscule amount of free time he has he spends it with the family and gets done what needs to get done.  We don't have time to wonder how we are doing it, we are too busy doing it.  Just keep your head down and go forward following the path set before you.

Third of all, we hold everything with an open hand.  Work was good for John this summer, we have money in the bank and he continues to work but history tells me that could change tomorrow and will likely slow down this winter.  I only make about 1/3 of our needed income so John still carries a pretty big burden.  We don't know how long we will be able to continue our lifestyle while John is in school and at this point I am pretty much planning to move in 2 years when he finishes community college.  Where?  When?  Why?  I don't know.  We simply take one day at a time and trust God to take care of us.  We believe He has put us on this path and will show us the next steps.  Where John will go to school, what undergrad degree he will pursue and where it will ultimately lead us. So we keep marching forward with our palms open wide.

So in summary, we are walking with Jesus, with our heads down and our hands open.  Which sort of makes us sound "special".  But that is how we do it.  Thanks for asking.