wednesday afternoon.

I’ve had this idea rolling around in my head for a few months now.

An idea about home school and community and the type of children Kevin and I want to raise and about help and asking for that help from my many talented friends.

I’m not going to really explain the idea right now.

I’ll save that for another post.

But it’s an idea that I have pitched, but have not completely followed through with.

Not surprising, really.  Is it?

Last week brought about the idea’s second glimmer.

(That first bright spot is a story for another day.  Wait for it.)

Ryan Gillispie.

Call him the forerunner.

A herald.

The harbinger, if you need another synonym.

Ryan is a Look Up Lodge summer staffer.

And last week he texted me and said he would be driving though town and we arranged a little Ryan Time for a few of the Keiglets.

And he drove to our house, gathered London, Mosely and Bergen, and drove over the lodge to hike around a bit and to hang out and to teach the kids about government.  (Ryan just completed a victorious campaign run for vice-president of the student body at Clemson.  So he knows a thing or two, you know.  His campaign had a catchy theme song that the administration tried to keep from the public.  But Ryan won anyway, despite the man trying to keep him down.)

Back to the story at hand.

Ryan didn’t even know what he had given me that day.

How could he?

Has he ever been 37?

The mother of six kids?

A homeschooling parent?

Nah.

But maybe he understands more than I think.

He’s probably been exhausted.

Wait – he was a LUL summer staffer – of course he knows exhaustion.

He knows lack of energy.

Sleepiness.

The desperate need for a change of scenery.

The cry of help.

The beauty of back up.

Yeah – he knows that.

Anyway.

The afternoon break was beautiful.

The house was quiet.

Otto Fox was asleep.

Piper Finn was painting.

There was a breeze.

And I noticed it.

I listened to the sound of the wind chimes.

Just listened to the sound of wind chimes.

I didn’t clean the bedroom – even though it was messy.

I didn’t do laundry.

I flipped through a magazine.

Outside by the wind chimes.

I ate a Cadbury egg and I read a book with Piper.

And I thanked God for friends like Ryan.

Who have no possible way to understand most what a tired mom needs on a Wednesday afternoon,

but somehow let just the right spirit guide them to meet a need they did not know existed.