Running Low

"love, joy, peace..."

Galatians 5:22

Here's the thing:  I'm running low on maple syrup. 

I love maple syrup.  And I'll only use the real thing.  My dad grew up in Vermont, so I guess it's in the genes.  None of that artificial stuff for me. 

The last time we were grocery shopping, my Amazing Boy happened to say, "Do you need syrup, Mom?"  And I said, "Well, soon, but not yet."  After all, real maple syrup is not cheap, so I want to buy it at the lowest possible price.

Turns out his instinct was right; I was lower than I thought.  Then we had breakfast for dinner last night, so now I'm even lower. 

A couple of weeks ago, we were out of chocolate chips.  My son had a hankerin' for chocolate chip cookies, and I told him he could make some, and it used the last of our chips. 

This was a tiny bit of a problem, though, being out of them, because I really, really like Cream of Wheat for breakfast. 

Hold on, I'll get ya there...

I have Cream of Wheat almost every morning, but you gotta put something on it, right?  It needs a little hit of flavor.  So most mornings I use a few chocolate chips, toss them in there, let them melt, swirl it around, and my breakfast has that little twist that my sweet tooth loves. 

And when I was out of chocolate chips, I used maple syrup.  Put a pat of butter in my breakfast, drizzle in some syrup, and there it was!  Yum! 

Maple syrup was what I had plenty of (relatively speaking) when I was out of chocolate chips.  Now I'm low on syrup, but in the meantime we've replenished our our chocolate chip supply.   And it occurs to me to be grateful that I may not have everything I need, all the time, but I always have something of all that I need.

My aunt died this afternoon.  Unexpectedly.  She went in for surgery yesterday, and of course surgery always comes with risks, and this time they were very real.

And remember that joy that I had on Sunday, as I celebrated the life of my friend Terry?  Well, I really don't have joy today.  As my friend Bob reminded me, there is a time for mourning, and a time for weeping.  And that time is now.  

I'm temporarily out of joy.  But I do have peace.  I think about my father and my other aunt, having lost their sister.  I think about my cousins, who have lost their mother.  She had grandkids, and nieces and nephews and friends galore.  And though I know they are hurting, I also know that God is with them.  That He comforts those who hurt, and that He is never far from us. 

I have thankfulness for memories and long life and the fact that she was surrounded by family when she died. 

And I have faith ~ faith in His love for His children ~ faith in the strength that comes from family ~ and faith in His promises.

And faith that my joy will soon return.

~ "A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

    And a time to dance" ~

Ecclesiastes 3:4

~