The years go by like stones under rushing water (NEEDTOBREATH)

She was a skinny little child with blonde bobbed hair and the sweetest giggle to accompany her precious smile.  As a toddler, she would cruise the house in only a diaper because she hated wearing clothing. Her little ribs would poke out, I swear we fed the child, but her high metabolism kept her in a constant state of skinny.  It’s hard imagining this little angel; the funny bunny child, will be going to high school next year.  The other night as we attended freshman orientation, I fought back the tears thinking about my sweet middle little, (her nickname) heading to high school.  Sweet Grace.

She turns sixteen in a few days.  Julia is getting excited to drive.  So grown up, so practical and sensible… spicy as ever, she’s just like her father.  My oldest child will soon be licensed to drive something other than a small electric Barbie car.  Independence is right around the corner.  It’s hard for me to believe college is two years away.

Then there is Isabel.  Tall, skinny, confident yet shy, at such a young age she wants to change the world one shoe at a time.  She doesn’t think about life like I did at her age.  She thinks of things like fair trade, social justice, Africa and hurting children.

This last week, I have been preparing my family, packing, working, and solving middle-school girl problems.  I have been writing reports, attending meetings, cooking dinners.  I have learned of new opportunities on the horizon, tempting me to stay awake at night, and I have been fighting off a cold.  My mind consumed with a million thoughts.

This morning I woke up realizing tomorrow I am leaving for Ethiopia.

Where has the time gone?

I am excited and I am looking forward to traveling with folks from Cornwall Church.  However, my heart feels that tug and sadness of saying goodbye to family.  Each time I return they all seem a little bigger and a little older.

There are times I am counting the days, I am anticipating what is around the corner. There are other times I want time to stand still…like those nights I rocked my precious babies while they slept in my arms…those days have gone.

God is timeless and ageless, and in light of eternity, isn’t our time on earth just a blink?

So I put my trust in God knowing that each day, each experience, each step along the way, is a precious moment to be cherished as a gift.  There will be moments that I want to hold onto forever, but just like time, these moments rush by, only to remind me that I am one day closer to eternity with HIM.