new

It didn't happen.
I had hoped it would but it didn't.
I started out this week hoping that somehow, magically,
just because it was a new week in a new month in a new year,
that I myself would feel new.
But mostly, I feel depleted.
It may have something to do with still being on East Coast time,
it may have a bit to do with the death flight that brought us home,
it may have to do the flooding in our back room,
the electricity outages or the chaos of unpacking,
or it could simply be the fact that in the two minutes
I was on the phone with my sister-in-law, Cheri, last night,
Addison found 2 contrasting markers
and colored the walls in the hallway,
the front door, the bathroom door and the coffee table.
He ended his artistic spree by dumping a bag of trail mix
in the middle of his room and then sat down to have a snack.
Luckily, there were m&m's in the trail mix.
I soothed myself with chocolate
as I picked up 40 gazillion tiny nuts and raisins.
It has been a rough start to the new year.
And yet I am hopeful. Crazy, I know.
Maybe it is because I am no longer functioning in reality.
Highly possible.
Or it could be because I have talked to several friends who
had similar ridiculous new year experiences
and I don't feel alone in the crazy.
Misery shared brings a bit of comfort.
Or it could be because this verse keeps swirling in my head.
I looked it up in THE MESSAGE. It's a good one.

GOD's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
Lamentations 3:22-23

I think I have hope because God is faithful.
And even though, I feel worn out, he's not.
And did you catch the thing about his loyal merciful love for us?
We get a fresh share every morning just like our morning coffee.
It could be the perfect start to the tired supergirl day ...
a piping hot cup of lovely caffeinated goodness followed by
a big fat helping of God's love made new this morning.
I'm feeling better already.