Sometimes It Just Hurts

Last night was hard.  We got together with a group of friends, most of whom have children around Wesley's age.  And while it should have been a special time of enjoying hanging out with friends and watching our kids play together, for me it was miserable. Whenever Wesley is around other kids his age, it is as if a spotlight is shining on him, showing off all of his differences for everyone to see.  While other kids are playing with toys in an age appropriate manner and running around together laughing, Wesley is not.  He would prefer to tap toys together, lick them, or try to hold a stack of them in one hand - all of this while walking in circles around a house.  Now that he has glasses, this also means that I need to follow him wherever he goes to make sure he doesn't take his glasses off, and more importantly, to make sure that his glasses don't get trampled when he takes them off.

I often wish that Wesley needed less supervision so that I could talk more with my friends.  But last night I realized I didn't actually want to be a part of the conversations that they were having.  It is hard to sit and listen to all the things their kids are doing, listen to the struggles that come with a normally developing toddler, and smile as they laugh about funny things that happened during their days. Sometimes I find that following Wesley around and watching him is much a much easier alternative.

Don't get me wrong, I love my friends.  I am grateful that they pursue me even when I try to hide.  I am so thankful to have friends that don't let me build walls up between us, but instead keep helping me tear them down, one brick at a time.  Last night I was so blessed to have a friend who saw that I was having a hard time, sought me out, followed Wesley and me from room to room, and cared for me.  She saw my ugly tears, heard my hurtful words, and still reached out to me and loved me.  And, the Lord used her caring words to change my heart.  The rest of the evening was still hard.  Seeing the other kids still hurt.  But, I was also able to see how the Lord has blessed our family so abundantly by providing us with friends who are committed to walking alongside us.

After getting home last night, the Lord brought the following verse to my mind, which helped me to regain perspective:

"The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance."  Psalm 16:5-6

The lines truly have fallen for me in pleasant places.  God has given me a wonderful husband, two precious sons, and dear friends who care about our entire family. But most importantly, God has shown his love for me by sending His Son to provide for my greatest need by dying on the cross so that I can spend eternity with Him.  What more could I ask for?  Indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance!