the best kind of medicine.

What do you do when half your family gets knocked down by the flu and you are bone tired and grouchy from wiping noses and cleaning up messes? 

You clean the dust off your guitar and worship. You force your vocal chords to sing the songs in faith that your heart will catch up.

I hadn't thought about my guitar in a long time. Probably haven't opened the case in a year. But randomly that morning it popped into my head that I should get it out. I had just spent the last couple days feeling tired, overwhelmed, and like a failure. I had just read three parenting books and then got tested with a couple days in the house with some sick fussy kids and it felt like a complete epic fail. (i know, i know, by whose standards?). I pushed the guitar thought away and went about my day wearily loading what seemed like the hundredth load of sheets and blankets when Sarah said to me out of the blue, "mom you should get out your guitar". 

Ok, that was loud enough.

So after dinner we all gathered around while mommy's fingers tried to remember how to play. Hope requested her new favorite song she hears at church and on the radio so we looked  up the chords on the computer. Over and over we sang, "Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me" until I started to believe it in my heart. It was craziness... kids running around the living room, pulling on the guitar, loud off tune singing, wrestling....you know, real life. But amidst the chaos we were rejoicing and our hearts were lighter. It was a miracle really.

The next day there was still noses to be wiped and another kid got sick but my perspective had changed. 

 "A cheerful heart is good like medicine." 

Proverbs 17:22