My beach fix

I have had two beach vacations in the last month (Three days in FL with Keith followed by three days in TX with the whole family). I am truly blessed, and theoretically I should be rejuvenated and relaxed. I'm finding that's not the case.

I spend all day every day with three small children. Relaxation is hard to come by.

I have a five-year-old who is perpetually tired as he discoveres the joys of NOT napping. Often crabby and argumentative.

I have a three-year-old who has finally discovered that she has a will. Pouty and rebellious.

And even if they are being well-behaved, the one-year-old alone drives me to distraction. When he's not all out screaming, he's whining. I truly have never seen such a grumpy kid. I tell Keith that it's good he's occasionally cuddly because otherwise I would be in the madhouse by now.

Beach vacations didn't do the trick for me. What to do?

I'm learning moment by moment to press into Christ. His strength is enough. His patience never fails (though mine does many times a day). And most importantly, His grace abundantly covers my failings.

If a once-a-year vacation was all I had to refresh my spirit, I would be a goner. Instead I have constant, daily access to the refreshing wind of the Spirit. Whenever I stop long enough to notice, His breeze is whispering at the edges of my heart, begging me to open the door so His wind can gust through my needy soul.