Open

At 6:50 am I woke with a migraine.
Ouch.
Grabbed for the extra strength bottle closest to me...
Crawled gently back into bed and emerged just after lunch.
My guys brought me a heating bag, coffee and a smoothie.
The day I get a migraine seems like such a write off.
I am completely incapacitated.
I even look worse than I feel.
Ouch.
As my guys gathered around, telling me what they had accomplished with their schooling and fitness in my absence, I was suddenly overwhelmed with such a sense of awe.
It caught me completely off guard.
Something clicked within my spirit as a looked at each of them..
These strapping young men of mine...in various stages of growth.:
intellectually
emotionally
physically
spiritually
...what was it about them that captivated my attention so thoroughly today?
I realized in a heart beat that it was their openness.
They live wide open.
No matter what I throw at them...
No matter whether I succeed..or fail during the day...
They have remained open.
accessible
teachable
reachable
touchable
They live expecting to be impacted and open to change and transformation.
They trust in my love for them. Even when I fail.
They trust in the Father's love for them. Knowing he never fails.

Watching them... I prayed that I would constantly live open to the ways and the means the Father uses to:
teach me
correct me
motivate me
transform me
use me

We opened up the windows and doors today, as it was above 15 degrees .
(insert happy dance here)
The warm fresh air blew through the house and carried away the stuffy, dank,stale air we had been breathing.
We filled our lungs and basked in the warmth of the sun blazing through the windows.
We felt renewed.restored.revitalized.refreshed.

So..my friends :
...throw open the bolts and unlock the chain....
Open wide the doors...
And leave them open....