A few random thoughts...

M keeps telling me that I no longer "track well." It seems that my brain has been almost completely replaced with mush. I don't follow conversations as well as I normally do. I don't get jokes. I randomly state things that no one else can follow. It's a blast! Just to give you a small window into the current inner workings of my pregnant brain, here are a few random thoughts that have been floating around in my head today.

• Physical discomforts. These take a up a significant portion of my brain power. Heart burn that necessitates sleeping in a recliner, feet in my ribs, back pain, and Braxton-Hicks contractions. Yay!
• Remnants of thoughts on Christology from my class yesterday evening. I've never processed well in class, but that's even more pronounced now. All the things I wish I'd thought of in class last night are floating around in there today.
• Class last night was followed by thunderstorms. Today, I've found myself checking the weather frequently to see when we'll get more rain. For those of you not experiencing the drought in South Central Kansas, we could use a week (or several) of rain. Amazing how heat and extremely dry conditions can take it out of you!
• Hiccups. Several times a day Baby Graber has hiccups. It's quite difficult to focus on anything else when your stomach is hiccuping.
• The DMV. I was fortunate enough to have my driver's license expire on my birthday, two weeks before Baby Graber is due. There was an interesting fellow in the office this morning when I arrived waiting to find out when the suspension on his license would be lifted. I think I'd feel more sorry that he has to wait until December for the suspension to lift, but the woman at the desk told him it had been extended because he was caught driving with a suspended license. I was amazed that the only DMV employee there on a busy day was able to stay positive in spite of rude patrons and even a woman who cussed at her because she lost her spot in line when she went out to smoke. By the time it was my turn, I was sure she'd be completely without patience, but she was incredibly nice! She even let me leave my weight at my pre-pregnancy weight on my new driver's license!
• Thoughts for some folks who are experiencing major life changing health challenges. From injuries due to car accidents to cancer to loss of babies born to early, my heart hurts for these folks. Today's mildly profound thought is about brokenness. It is in our most broken moments that God's glory, grace, healing, love, and power can be revealed. In the moments when we encounter our own brokenness, the greatest gift we can offer to one another is prayer. I am continually amazed by how my own life has been profoundly affected by the prayers of others on my behalf. When my heart aches for others and I long to know what to offer, prayer seems like such a simple thing, but it's impact can be incredible. When I don't know how to pray, the Spirit hears the longings of my heart that are too deep for words as the prayers they are meant to be. Amazing!
• My own blessings. It's hard not to think of the blessings in my own life when I think about the obstacles in the lives of others. I'm reminded again to live in gratitude. Life can change in an instant and we can find ourselves faced with immense challenges. When challenges arise, it can feel like all we can do is call out to God. But, it's when things are going well, when we are living "no matter what goes right" lives, that it's difficult to remember to call out to God in gratitude. We looked at Psalm 96 last Sunday in Sunday School.

"O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous works among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all     gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Honour and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in holy splendour; tremble before him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is king!
The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
He will judge the peoples with equity.’
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth."

This Psalm is still ringing in my heart. May it ring in yours as well. If all your heart can do today is wordlessly call out to God, know that God hears you, know that God is with you, know that you are being lifted up by the prayers of many, and know that even when you cannot offer praise of your own, the very earth around you will praise the Lord until you are able to praise again.