This week we have been slowly reintroducing ourselves to the real world. Malachi is running at 95% and the only thing slowing him down is some leftover drainage, mostly in the mornings. As a precaution we kept him away from the horse barn as I was worried the dust may mess with his throat, but we are planning to start back in the morning. He gets so excited when I mention his horses.

Tuesday we decided to try an outing and went to the grocery store. It is always an adventure as I push Malachi in his wheelchair and pull a cart behind us. This trip I noticed one of the managers keeping his eye on us so I wasn’t surprised when he walked over to say hello. He explained that they had recently ordered a special needs cart for children like Malachi. It is called “Caroline’s Cart” and has a large child seat built into the front with a 5 point harness. We tried him in it and he is still a little small but it really touched my heart that they were doing their best to make grocery trips a bit easier on families like mine!

Wednesday Malachi was acting well enough to try his therapy sessions so I gave him a good scrub down in the bath and got him loaded up- off we went. We made it about 6 minutes down the road before Malachi got  choked on a bit of his mucus and threw up allll over the car. Luckily I had a pack of wipes and a back up outfit hiding in the van so after a quick gas station stop we were back on the road to therapy. He had some trouble with seizures during his session, and was very exhausted from the physical activity as well so we took it easy. After therapy Malachi passed out and momma met my sister in law at Cracker Barrel. Oh how refreshing it was to get out of the house! We had a long and wonderful lunch with adult conversation while Malachi just snoozed away. It was the first time in a long time that I felt normal and it was exactly what I needed.

We transitioned Malachi back into his room this week and words can’t describe how nice it was to be back in my bed! Malachi is still waking up three times a night for a few hours each time, but as long as he is feeling better I can manage. He inevitably ends up in the bed with Jake and I, and literally sleeps with his face pressed against mine. If I can get Jake to snap a picture one of these days it would be sure to make you laugh…each arm and leg is sprawled so that it is somehow touching my body. He is a momma’s boy for sure!

He was extra excited this morning to be back in church. He loves every aspect of Sunday mornings from the familiar voices to the singing. He truly clings to every word of the sermon, listening for Pastor Robbie to say a word he knows. I snapped some pictures of him this morning in his church clothes. The first picture is his model look haha. As you can see, his seriousness did not last long.

So before I start my devotional thought time let me share with you a sweet video…

After my transparency last week I have been doing some serious thinking. I thought about 1 Corinthians 13 and the true definition of love. I also looked at the fruit of the spirit as defined in Galatians: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

As I prepared a Bible study for our youth group I started thinking about the whole concept of a Christian bearing fruit. As I read through scripture I came across Luke 6:45 that says “The good man out of the treasures of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills the heart.”

As I read this verse I felt conviction, because even though I don’t consider myself as “evil” I do believe there is truth in that final sentence. What fills your heart comes out through your words. So if my words are not uplifting and of God then I am having a heart issue that requires repair.

I have been reminded that my walk with God right now is not where it should be.

When you a walking in true fellowship with God the fruit of the spirit flows out of you. Those qualities aren’t something you have to strive to do, but rather they are your second nature- the nature of Christ.

Likewise 1 Corinthians 13 tells us the nature of God. God is patient, God is kind…

As Christians we should desire to be a reflection of Christ. To hold all of those qualities. And when we lack in them it is a huge warning sign that our fellowship with God may need some serious evaluation. Which is absolutely true in my case.

You see, when you are a Christian it is not just simply a title you can check on a piece of paper. It is an ongoing title that has to be maintained. It is an active and always growing relationship with our Creator. Too many times we tend to think that once we experience salvation we are set. But sin is a constant threat and staying close to Christ is imperative.

I encourage you to do some soul searching- from one sinner to another. I am very imperfect, and many of those fruits of the spirit are struggles for me right now. It’s a good thing I love a God who craves a relationship with me…so much so that He freely offers me grace.

God bless,

Jake, Leah, and Malachi