Subtractions

 "They came to us, these kids, to teach us something, remind us of something we used to know. .......Parents who find happiness in these hard places are the ones who manage to raise children who are happy with their lot."

On the calendar for the last six months was a 3 day stay at a local state park. All 5 of us.

I've shared that we don't travel all 5 of us for a variety of reasons, but Peanut requested a "family cabin trip." I chose something close to home (for the unreleased basketball schedule), something large enough for everyone to have their own space, and something that matched being able to spend time with other family.

At the time we booked, there was no dog.

When we adopted Mo, I set about trying to find accommodations for him for a 3 day event. Mo Trouble is adorable but busy and requires supervision and activity. We (and by we, I mean Me) find a great doggie boarding place that offers daycare as well. Not wanting to leave Mo somewhere new for 3 days, I begin taking him weekly preparing him for the trip.

And after his last daycare visit, when he was all set to board, he got sick. And now can't go to pet fun village for the weekend. He can't go with us either because we didn't rent something pet friendly and he's contagious and can't be around other dogs.

As I spent the last few days giving him meds every 4 hours and trying to figure out how to pull off Peanut's family cabin trip and still love our dog well, I've been thinking how rarely does anything look like I envision or hope it will.

Ever the roller coaster with twists and turns, never the strived for boring carousel ride.

Having the dog changes things.

It's this way in all the things.

Marriage changes things.

It was no longer what I wanted to eat for dinner, what I wanted to do on a random Sunday afternoon, what I wanted to spend money on. It is a "we" life - filled with compromises and sacrifices.

Buying a house changes things.

No longer does a landlord come and fix the overflowing toilet or dripping sink. There's a yard that eats up our spare time 8 months of the year. There's a mortgage that gets paid before anything else.

Having kids is the hum dinger of changing things.

My days begin and end with someone else's needs. There is a master family calendar I run - who needs to be where for what, when. There's the balancing of individual needs and the whole family picture.

Things won't be as they were before. They are forever different.

So, now we go into Peanut's "best weekend ever" and it's already looking complicated. The first vacation (she remembers) that she gets to go on.

The main goal being that Peanut has the best time ever AND the dog is well cared for.

Sacrifices are part of the family package.

I've been thinking this morning as I prepare to make the magic of the next 3 days work, how life is supposed to look different after marriage, home ownership, kids, pets. All these things are supposed to grow and stretch us. Change us.

Mama Warriors, I'm also wondering this morning if we look different after Jesus?

Are we growing, stretching, changing?

Are we making the sacrifices we are called to make? Are we loving others first and well?

I think in order to reap the benefits of the additions to our life, we also have to be able to lean into the subtractions. To appreciate that which isn't the same as we bless that which is.