Just another Wednesday

My head and heart are full from a long day. It's so hard to know where to start, what to write at this late hour of the night.

I have the absolute blessing of caring for two beautiful little human beings as a 'job'. I watched Will grow up all the way from birth to the beautiful, sensitive, imaginative, crazy 3-and-a-half year old boy he is now. Today we played lots of games that included 'baddies' and 'goodies'. We made massive bubbles out on the deck in the sunshine. We talked about making up stories.
Sascha was born just over a year ago, and is the most intense, loud, gorgeous, dare-devil 1 year old girl I have ever met. Today she managed to climb onto Will's motorised mini quad bike and off she went (with me running after her, I should add)! Will wouldn't ride it himself until he was at least 2! When she woke up from her nap she snuggled back into my shoulder and stayed there cuddling with me for another ten minutes. We sang along together to our favourite Justine Clarke dvd.
I love those two kids as if they were my own. Every day that I get to spend with them and love them and play with them is a blessing, not a job. Yes, sometimes I get cranky when they are too demanding. Yes, sometimes I'm glad I get to go home and sleep without having to wake up to them. But overall, my life would not be the same without the little brown-haired boy with a beautiful smile and the blonde-haired girl with the big blue eyes.

This evening I spent a couple of hours with three of my favourite people in the whole world talking about life and hope and faith and choices and brokenness and redemption and blessing and curses and prayer and so much more.
I was reminded of the verse from Deuteronomy:

... I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deut. 30:19

When we choose to live (instead of merely exist or waste life) we open ourselves up to more and more of the abundant blessings that God intended for us, and longs to lavish on us. When we choose to live in blessing, and allow God's blessing into our lives, we can experience so much hope and restoration. It can been painful, hard work to choose life.... but it is worth it.

I'm tired from a long day. But my head and heart are full and I am blessed.