The big news around here is that the Griffith’s have a new roommate. Meet Laycie.
She reached out to my friend Ashley’s ministry, Selah Creek, because she needed a place to stay. Ashley send out the call for help. In a way that only God does things, after I saw Ashley’s post about it, the thought of Laycie moving in here would not leave me or Jesse alone. One day Jesse just said, “Sarah, I think she needs to move in here.” I agreed. To be honest the part that really took a hold of my heart is that Laycie is going to have a baby. I love the thought of having a baby in the house again because if you know me at all you know how I love babies! Sydney and Brock also love babies so when we told them that Laycie might move in, they were so excited.
We arranged to all meet so we could see if this would work. I mean I can’t imagine someone not being in love with how I run my house or how I cook or how I do life, but stranger things have happened. (Just for context think of the term “bossy pants”) I was also worried that I would meet Laycie and it would all be wrong. Let us not forget that I lived in a building for two years with a bunch of 20 year olds. I knew what I was potentially getting myself into, and all the bad stuff that sometimes accompanies 20 year olds.
The kids are doing great with it too. You can see Sydney look at Laycie with that sweet look of awe. Like she realizes, “Oh girl, you have gone before me into the halls of high school, share your knowledge of how to survive.” And Syd and I have a thing for babies, so that won her over. Other than the fact that Laycie does not share Brock’s affinity for Cinnamon Toaster Strudel, he is totally cool with her too. Laycie brought Cinnamon Roll Dessert Pizza home a few days ago there by cementing their devotion to her because their mother would never get that for them.
Allow me to back up a bit, to before she moved in. We were all so excited and everyone was helping to make preparations. I got right to work. This is where I can let my Type A, organized, label making, energized self free to run. And I was fine, really I was. I sorted and moved and cleaned out the stuff the was in the two rooms we were giving to Laycie. I was even fine when the army of helpers came to move furniture from one place to another. However, when it was all said and done and I walked into my bedroom–which was the place I decided to store all the stuff I moved out of the two bedrooms–I nearly fainted. There was so much crap to orgainzed and get rid of and move to new locations. I’m not sure if I have made it clear on this blog that I LIKE A CLEAN AND ORGAINZED HOUSE. So it was all fun and games until I actually had to make room for Laycie and the baby to move in.
I see God at work here. I hope you do too. It is so easy to say YES when God puts something on my heart. It makes so much sense to say YES and make people happy and feel like I am doing something good. The learning comes when my YES actually costs me something and I have to make room for my YES. When I actually have to say no to myself so I can follow through on my YES, I see just exactly how my flesh does not want to have any restrictions or denials. I am so keenly aware of the struggle Paul talks about in Romans. He says, (I’ll paraphrase), “I want to do what is right but as soon as I want do right, my flesh talks me out of it.” I can feel that. I am so glad to report that I fought that battle and won. My room is back to normal and all it took was some “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” to keep me laughing through it all.
And another thing, as my grandpa would say, I have learned about making room for people that God brings you to love. You have to make room physically, but also mentally and spiritually. Just like God made room for us to be his adopted children sharing Christ’s inheiratance, I have to make room to love His people. So this ties into the “Oh hell no,” post from last week. I have had to say no to things so I can make room to love Laycie. I had to clear out my junk so she had space to make herself at home here and I had to clear out time so I can be here for her if she needs me. And I may have already made her promise that I get some baby time. If I had said yes to all the things that come my way I would not have time for my family let alone a new person living with us.
No doubt that more blog post will come out of our new adventure. I can’t wait to hold the baby. I love watching Laycie set up his room. Gosh, as a mama it takes you right back to when you were going to be a mom for the first time. I remember not feeling ready to have the baby until the nursery was set up. We would covet your prayers for our new journey. No doubt we will get on each others nerves, and have to wade through conflict (my favorite! said me never!).
And through it all, through it all, My eyes are on You, And through it all, through it all, It is well, And through it all, through it all, My eyes are on You, And it is well with me.
He started this journey, and made it all happen and He will walk us through this. It is well.