Constancy

I was struck by the message on this sign we saw on our trip to the Falls last weekend. Few places on Earth have been open nightly for over 100 years. Imagine. Every night. I've struggled to make dinner ever night of the week since I've been at home these last two years! In fact, the lovely people at Chick-fila were our chefs this evening.

The plan was for Chicken Noodle Soup. I baked the chicken last night and boiled it off for hours. I planned to skim the broth and add all the veggies this afternoon.

What wasn't in the plan was a baby who cried for the better part of three hours. Poor little Dumpling. He was just inconsolable. (Poor Pumpkin and Mommy who had to listen to it!) I've just gotten Dumpling off to sleep. I'm taking a few minutes to blog right outside his room on the chance that he will awaken again.

Back to the point of this post. Open nightly for over 100 years is quite an accomplishment. I can't think of anything I've done nightly for 35 years, except breathe. Can you? I haven't even slept nightly, and that's not to be blamed on the kids. I remember all-nighters in college, etc.

I wish I could say even that I've prayed nightly for 35 years. But I can't. I remember learning to pray as a child. I only remember praying at my grandparents' houses. It was a combination of "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" (both the standard prayer and the one including Brother Jake's Peanuts), "Hail Mary", "God Bless Everything I Can Think of to Mention", and "The Animal Fair" which is actually a poem not a prayer, but for some reason my Grandpa always recited that one along with the peanut prayer. I never did catch all the words to "Hail Mary", but I can still remember "The Animal Fair". I think I've digressed again. Sigh.

Could I say I've prayed nightly for even the last five years? I would like to, but I know I've been asleep too quick too often. We are told to pray without ceasing in Scripture and I do pray throughout my days and often nights. Different things come to my mind at different times that turn me to prayer. Sometimes I awaken and know that I'm awakened to pray. It maybe for a loved one, but sometimes it's even been for people I've never even met, usually for Christians in China that I've read about from Voice of the Martyrs.

My desire is to pray more. Not just fleeting snippets here and there, but more concentrated and focused prayer. My sweet sister gave me a Prayer Journal when she came to visit last month. I've enjoyed using that, but need to put it someplace where I'll read it throughout the day.

So many of my prayers these days are so myopic. "Lord, help this child to stop crying!" is a common one. "Lord, help me and guide me in this situation. What should I do?" is another. I want to remember, though, to pray for all the needs that are so much greater than my little life.

If you think about it, pray for me in this area. I desire a more disciplined prayer life and time of prayer. Some of it's that need for some sense of routine and control in my life which is sorely lacking these days. I pray that it's with a sincere heart to connect to Him and not just a need to feel in control on my part.

This has turned out to be a rather disjointed post on my part. Sorry. It's the best I could do right now though. Is it possible that listening to crying really destroys brain cells, or is that just my imagination?

Here's some additional pictures I took last weekend.

The Lake of Shining Waters

The water was so blue, as was the sky, that it made the snow on the distant mountains seem to pop.

Baby Bear~Just a part of all the wildlife in the mountains!