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Happy Go Stuckey

Tethering Grace & Togetherness

Close & Comfortable (FMF)

May 22, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 7 Comments

I leaned in through the car door and helped buckle her in. For some reason the thought flashed through my mind that maybe soon she could probably learn to do this like most other 5 year old children.

If I didn’t know better.. she could have read my mind.

“Mommy? Having a Mommy is comfortable.” (Actually, she says it, Comfertasul– and gosh, is it so cute.)

“Comfortable? What do you mean?” I ask.

“Mommies are comfortable. They do things for you when your hands are small and you can’t do things as good.” She cheerily explained.

I smiled. Kissed her forehead and closed the door. As I walked around to my side of the car I thought about it. I want to be comforting, sure. But I don’t usually think about being “comfortable.” Maybe she meant comforting?

But she didn’t. She meant comfortable. She was struggling with the seatbelt when I opened the door, and then she looked up, saw me and sort of sighed and sat back. As if to say, “Oh good. you’re here. I don’t have to struggle anymore.”

She knew I was close, and I knew just what to do. Such trust. Such sweet FAITH. Such belief that I will do what I say I will do.

As for me? I need reminding that God will do what He says He will do. I need reminding of WHO He is. Not so my obstacles can magically disappear, leaving only ease and comfort in their place… but so that I give Glory to the One who is so worthy of my trust.

It’s humbling to have the faith and trust of a cherished tiny soul. It’s daunting when you know how extremely human you are. It’s exhausting when you just need a little “breathing room.” It’s just A LOT sometimes.

But in the leaning on HIM as they forever lean on us, we draw closer. Nor for comforts’ sake. But for closeness’ sake alone.

Draw Me Nearer, Lord.

Five Minute Friday

Photographic Torture. (In which Lucy keeps getting older.)
Speaking Love

Comments

  1. K Smith says

    May 22, 2014 at 11:29 pm

    Thank you for this. ’twas needed. “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.” and “O for Grace to trust Him more.” He has been whispering trust all day. Thank you for lending your words to His will. –An FMF neighbor (Remnants blog)

    Reply
  2. Anita Ojeda says

    May 22, 2014 at 11:34 pm

    Oh, what a beautiful reminder that God is both close and comforting and, well, comfortable :). I love the thought that when we rely on him, well, we don’t have to struggle and we can allow ourselves to be comfortable in whatever situation we find ourselves in!

    Reply
  3. Meredith Bernard says

    May 23, 2014 at 12:37 am

    Cynthia, this is beautiful and poetic and perfect. What a precious reminder from your little one how much they do rely on us and what a blessing to be able to provide for them. Even when it seems to drain the life from us! 😉 And a great reminder that God always has and always will do the same. Thank you! xoxo, Meredith

    Reply
  4. jenpcv says

    May 23, 2014 at 7:25 am

    What a precious little girl! And such innocent and true faith. We can learn a lot from her!

    Reply
  5. Amy J. Bennett says

    May 23, 2014 at 8:50 am

    Precious! I love when our kids give us a glimpse of our heavenly Father. Thank you for sharing the moment with us.

    Reply
  6. amypboyd says

    May 23, 2014 at 9:43 pm

    What a sweet sweet reminder that we do not have to struggle because He is always near.

    Reply
  7. karenbethc says

    May 24, 2014 at 1:05 pm

    Love this .. stopping by from FMF .. nice blog.. hope to stop by again

    -Karen
    http://www.findingthegracewithin.com

    Reply

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Hey There!

I'm Cynthia and I'm so glad you're here. I am an introvert with an extrovert's love of gathering people together. I love good books and capturing moments. Whether you visit me here or on my own front porch, I'll be the one holding the Iced Coffee for us both.

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happygostuckey

Joy is the courage of people who don’t have all Joy is the courage of people who don’t have all the answers, yet.

While you sit in a season of waiting,
the calendar can often be a cruel companion, reminding you that days go by, weeks, months— with what feels like very little change in the right direction.

Perhaps you can easily assent to: 
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but you strain to see just how it will be when: “...a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

Wherever you and I are today— whether we wander, wait, stand firmly planted, or some pressed together combination of all three — we can take heart.

We are not alone.
And this will not be wasted.
What seems to be an unending blank space, an indefinite pause, is a space for new things.

Long before all is made right, and whether or not it all is tied up neatly with a perfectly crafted bow— we can know this:

We do not have to know the outcome to be faithful today.

✨Joy is not disregard for reality as much as it is obstinacy against despair.✨
Hi 👋🏻 I’m Cynthia and I’m a bit weary. T Hi 👋🏻 I’m Cynthia and I’m a bit weary. There. I said it. These days I’m gravitating to the true & the beautiful as rest for my weary self... and I wonder if you are too.

So much so, that I’m starting a new little offering, it’s called “The Feast: Wonder for the Weary” and the first issue goes out this weekend. It’s a bit more personal (okay this first one is WAY more personal. 🤭) It will be a little bit of everything, all with the goal of offering REST to both the feasters & foragers alike. If you’re already a subscriber— no need to do anything, if not— click through my bio to “keep in touch” and join the feast.✨
We are a people of both lament and praise. We hol We are a people of both lament and praise.

We hold questions without answers— yet we hold them in hands already full of good things.

We hold our daily bread, our daily gifts, and we hold the daily closeness of the God Who Sees.

The God who is no stranger to our lament, and Who Is the reason for our every hope.
He does not grow weary of our asking. Of our need to be told again, He will. 

You friend, are not invisible.
You are seen and cared for by the God who does all things well. (Even when they feel anything but.)
Married love ambition: making the kids roll their Married love ambition: making the kids roll their eyes at our “gushy-ness” as often as possible. 

President & CEO of the Lance Stuckey Fan Club— in every season, but especially on days like today.
Rainy day Mocha date, courtesy of our own toasty k Rainy day Mocha date, courtesy of our own toasty kitchen.😍🌧📚

On this chilly Saturday, we spent entirely too long browsing for books at our library and then all came home to a fire, mochas, and cocoa, respectively. Of all the things we do not know at this very moment, we know the gifts abound, and are worth counting.

PS, if you haven’t spread whipped cream on a foil-lined baking sheet to freeze, and then cut out cute shapes with cookie cutters to top your coffee or hot cocoa, may I suggest you get thee on that at once.
“If God sends us on strong paths, we are provide “If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes.” — Corrie Ten Boom

✨File under, things to save in a fire.✨

The prayer journal pictured here contains six months of the hard & the sweet.
Six months of prayers asked & answered for ourselves and for others.
Six months of seeing through prayer, not how it changed our circumstances necessarily but how it changed us.

I always appreciate a record like this— being able to clearly see the paths we are led down, rocky though they may be? Priceless.

The ways God has come near us & drawn us to Himself again and again are written on these pages and I’ll treasure it forever.

Also pictured: Psalms Illuminated Scripture Journal. Highly recommend. Thank you always, @allifarnell
“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it th “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

While scrolling through my photos today, my heart was heavy to realize how far back “before” was.

Before masks and distancing, before loss, before other, more personal bits of hard. Multitudinous change, neither all bad nor all good.

With our free time, we’ve introduced our girls to Tolkien, Bilbo, Frodo, and especially Samwise the Brave. They are officially hooked and we are delighted to watch them discover another world where evil doesn’t win, and the courage of the small matters much. {they close their eyes at the Orcs and we haven’t had a nightmare yet!}🤞🏻😂😬
I’m leaning increasingly more into the analog th I’m leaning increasingly more into the analog these days.

It started with the Sourdough and a dozen different kinds of jam last year.
I suddenly find great calm in activities that stand in direction opposition to hurry, the textbook definition of ✨work in progress.✨ And really, if you could see the other side of this piece, you would believe me. 🙃

Thank you to @thebarmyfox for making embroidery so accessible!
@thenester says, “It doesn’t have to be perfec @thenester says, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful,” and I believe that the weeknight meal equivalent is, “Just because it’s easy— doesn’t make it a second-tier supper!”

Thank you, Spaghetti with Meat sauce for being both a ministry to mom AND a crowd pleaser. Especially on a dreary January-ish day. It is ✨quite alright✨ to make something we’ve made a million times just because we know it makes the people happy.🍝
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