Standing in the Gap

     If we aren't standing in the gap somewhere for someone we aren't of much use to this world.  I can barely hold my eyes open and this ringing/pressure in my ears has got me much more loopy than I normally am, but I think I'll sleep better if I get a few things down in writing.                                    
     Today started off with some people, namely good coaches, who carted our children to their games and included them in their own family fun, while Miranda took the car to work and McKala to "her" game.  Manuel and Sebastian's Mom took them for the afternoon and this left me here with my least ones - Macklynn and Madalynn.  There were much needed one on one hours of painting, ice cream eating, game playing, bubble bathing, and .... bathroom flooding.   I was enjoying the pleasures of everyone's day and then.....                             
      The prospect that has been lying in wait came closer to fruition.  Manuel (3) and Sebastian (2) may have their young years in our care, due much to the doozy of a time they and their Mom have had.  Later I was particularly struck by the humanity of it all when I bent down to hug Sebastian, after I reprimanded and gave him "the eye" while he was having a tantrum, and could feel his short breaths in my ear, a little man fighting his inner man to purposefully gain control of his cries.  They and we have accomplished and grown together so much in this 2 1/2 weeks.                                                       
      I know that we, and I do mean "we" because it will take us all, CAN do this.   We CAN do all things through Christ, but am "I" WORTHY to take hold of something that is the masterpiece of a another person?  The sincere trust is terribly humbling and drawing tears as I write.  Funny that Mike had a vasectomy last spring because of the difficulty of my 6th and 7th pregnancies (and that through the last months, I finally had it resolved in my mind) to find that God might see fit to give us the keys to 2 more of his souls (3 really, including my young mother friend).   Understand, I wasn't looking for this.   I was just there and always felt led to keep track of them, hoping for best, but things keep crashing around them .... picking up, learning new things the hard way can seem almost impossible to people who have never had what so many of us take for granted.