solemn thanksgiving

I'm having one of those mornings where everything seems weighty and grave. Perhaps it's the stress from packing and anticipating travel and a weekend of family and celebration. Perhaps all my lightheartedness got used up in one go last night at Yellow House, when I prayed a prayer so ridiculous that six girls were throwing pens and dying of laughter. Perhaps it's because I've gotten no sleep for all the coughing these last few days. Anyway, I'm solemn this morning.

Except for now that I've thought about all that laughter from last night, my solemnity is dissolving. But quick, here's the solemn thing I wanted to say:

There's a story in Exodus 17 about Moses, Joshua, and a battle. Joshua and his crew are fighting the Amelekites, and things aren't going well. God tells Moses to lift up his arms, and when he does, the Israelites start winning. But when Moses gets tired and his arms fall down, Joshua and the army start losing.


"When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword."

It's an amazing, improbable, wonderful, and strange story.


Anyway, this has been a very strange season of my life, especially these last five or so months since graduation. I've been sitting around waiting for the future to start. It's been active, and passive, and difficult. There's not a whole lot I've been able to do, just a lot to be faithful to and to pray about, etc. I kind of feel like I've been standing here with my arms in the air, trusting that somehow standing with my arms in the air is going to make a difference.

You guys have been here for me, alongside me, helping me get through, like Aaron and Hur did for Moses. And I just wanted to say, with all my heart, thank you.

Thank you for the hugs and phone calls and facebook messages and blog comments. Thank you for the coffees and lunches and inside jokes. Thank you for offering me a bit of yourself for the sake of community. Thank you for speaking truth to me, lovingly, even when I've not wanted to hear it. Thanks for the encouragement, and accountability, and for humoring me when I've said and done things that have made you slightly uncomfortable. Thank you most of all for the prayers for me and for my family -- I know there are lots of people who pray for me and I don't even know about it, and that just floors me.

Bless you all. I'm asking God to rain lots of joy on you today, and peace, and grace. Bless you. I couldn't be who I am without you.

Thank you for holding up my arms.