Raising Magnolias

Standing in the Gap

I don’t know Ann.

You know, Voskamp.

If I did, I’m sure we would totally be bff’s.

(For those of you much older and less text-language savvy, that’s best friends forever.)

But I don’t know her.

But I do know this.

She stands in the gap.

For me.

For women.

For moms.

And so on this day that I find myself back at the “there are no words” place and there are actually words; plenty of words, it’s just that a) they will be twisted beyond meaning and abused to lose their meaning and b) they’re not nice enough for this southern girl to use.

But I’m thinking ’em—

And I’m just betting that Ann thinks them every once in a while, too.

She writes about being a mom. The essence of the sacrifice that is not a sacrifice at all, but a beautiful gift of grace.

And she writes about how women should be treated. How moms should be treated. And her argument? Her standard?

Jesus.

And what resonates is this: If Christ is the Truth, then if there is no truth, then there is no Christ. Why would we ever have to be afraid of the truth.

And I’m not.

Afraid of the truth.

I actually like to think of myself as a mini-Ann, (humble little chicky aren’t I?) only, you know, she’s a much better writer, a heck of a lot smarter and doesn’t have my knack (sp?) for witty-sarcasm.

Oh, and she like hardly ever says, “like” or “seriously” or “HALE YEAH!” 🙂

But today, I know I will say things; true things, hard things, but will totally be misconstrued things and so instead, I offer a little Ann.

www.aholyexperience.com

(I’m having trouble with the link. It’s the blog posted for today, March 20th) You can also find it on facebook at One Thousand Gifts. You can like her page and get updates for her blog).

And she talks about men. And how to treat women. And about nursing babies and cleaning up vomit that covers them both and I think of just yesterday lying in bed with my own sick baby and how she was sleeping and I was holding and she woke up just long enough to throw-up on me and then as if she was sleep-vomiting, just went right back to sleep. A mother doesn’t wake her sleeping baby to get clean. A mother holds and waits and like Ann says it is not a sacrifice, but a gift; a grace; a calling on your life and that life is not a race.

Reading her post today reminds me of how grateful I am for the faithful men in our lives; the faithful men who show up and stand up and will.never.give.up and they have built into my life and into the lives of my children and God is the giver of all good things and today instead of anger and sadness and heart – breaking madness, I will just say thank you.

Thank you to my Dad and Pop and the Pappaw that came before. Papa Tom, Uncle Mark; and my brother who couldn’t love them more. To Pastor Doug and Pastor Brian who got them started on their way and Fremont Pastor Kyle whom I could call night or day (but I promise not to! :).

And I didn’t really mean for that to rhyme. But Emma Claire and I have been home together since Sunday night and I’m starting to talk like a 4-year-old.

And I could go on. There’s Eric and Chris. And Papa who’s not really our papa, but you wouldn’t know this. Coach Harmon and Darin and the men of Awana. And reading aloud Emma Claire just added iguana.

Told you we like to rhyme.

And did I mention we are blessed?

#crazyblessed