In an ocean of.... pee?

     Stress - something we all wish we could live without but for some reason it just seems to keep creeping into our lives!!!! This last week has been a high stress one! Poison ivy that is relentless in its pursuit of my sanity, laundry that is nearing the height of Mount Rushmore (and then the resulting clean clothes that need put away), my husbands work truck being totaled, money being on the tighter side of the fence, a cat who is teetering between healing and possibly getting sick and being put down. Yes.... stress!
     So last night after I gave the boys their second shower of the day (in an attempt to make sure no new poison ivy visits us) the boys ran off to their room whining and pouting about this and that. My nerves were shot - one person can only handle so many tantrums and meltdowns from a two year old. Then it happened, I rounded the corner into the boys room to get them some clothes since apparently they had become double amputees in the moments preceding my arrival since they could not retrieve their own clothing.... and low and behold... what did I see? My blessed angelic sweet sweet David standing at the end of his bed cheesing big and boldly - and at the feet of this sweet angelic giggly little boy was wetness..... Not just ANY wetness, oh no...a puddle, a river.... or at that moment it could have been an ocean for all I cared! It was wetness that David himself had produced. Yes, my sweet boy couldn't have gone in the toilet moments before but had to wait and bless yet another area. His floor was soaked, some pictures he had from before and his favorite tractor/truck toy... soaked!
     "What happened? Where did this come from?" I asked. Flabbergasted David said, "Bolty (the dog) did it!" Ummmmmm... yeah, I don't think so. So a confession, a towel cleaning and a handful of Lysol wipes later the situation was resolved and cleaned. Not sure why he had to pee on his floor (or why last week he had to aim for not only the toilet but also for the cat box).... but all I know is it created yet more stress.
     In all this stress it seems a little breathing room would be nice. I don't know about you, but there are times of stress where you just want to sit back and say "Hey God, enough is enough! I really don't think I can handle anymore! PLEASE stop!".... but we have the joy of knowing He knows how much we can handle and though it is painful, annoying and flat out just a pain in the butt - it is stretching us to be more patient, more loving and to give more grace where we may have never given it before!


And on a side note: Holey moley there are a lot of Sippy Cups in my dishwasher!!!!

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God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3)