Advent ~Four~

“God, who hung the stars—He has taken a thread of His heart and tied it to yours.  And He didn’t need to, but God tied His heart to yours so when you feel pain, He fills with pain.”  Ann Voskamp

When my children were in school I would periodically grant them a “Time Out Day.”  There were times they were worn out and simply needed a day of rest.  There would be movie watching, napping, junk food consumption,…whatever helped them to refuel and be ready to go back to their daily routine.

Today I declared it was “Jeralyn’s Time Out Day!”  Since September when my dad had a minor stroke and heart attack, life has been more complicated and stressful than usual.  After his hospital stay he was transferred to a local nursing home for his therapy and rehab.  He won’t be leaving that facility…his days of living alone and being independent are over. This morning I found myself a bit undone with the responsibility of packing up his life, meeting with lawyers, therapists, doctors, and making this transition as smooth as possible for both of us. There are days I feel like I am drowning…there are days when I am strong and assured. 

What captured my heart today as I read in “The Greatest Gift” was that God’s heart hurts when my heart hurts. Psalm 56:8 floated into my mind, a tender reminder that He cares about everything that affects me:
“You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn
   through the sleepless nights,
Each tear entered in your ledger, 
   each ache written in your book.”