Emotional rollercoaster warming up

It is getting emotionally rocky around here - not the adults, it's the kids. We've had more emotional melt-downs this weekend than we've had for a while. And it is not because they are tired, they've had a good week - only three days at school plus a quiet weekend. The high of "looking forward to Japan" is hard to sustain and the reality of the upheaval that is coming their way is bumping them around emotionally. Of course little boys can't articulate that. It comes out in their actions, though!

We worked late last night. The last of our Fun Japan Evenings. But the boys have done it with us four previous times and the novelty has worn off for them. So we found a sitter for them last night. However it didn't go as smoothly as we'd thought. Our nearly 11 y.o. behaved strangely. We think that some of it related to the changes in the air. Our sitter reflected that this must be one of the hardest things about the lifestyle we lead.

Yes, dragging your children in and out of countries. Working hard to settle them, then pulling them out of a settled state and taking them somewhere else, only to repeat the process. It stinks!

It does help to keep your eyes on the bigger purpose of it all. And that God called, not just us, but our whole family to be involved, even knowing how hard it would be. He loves them more than we love them. He can use this to make them the people he wants them to be. I'm reading a book comprising of comments by children and adults who are or have grown up in just this lifestyle (some, mind you, who've had much more upheaval than us). Most of them are thankful for the upbringing they have had. That kind of testimony is encouraging to us in the midst of it.

It's also helpful to realise that protecting our boys from change isn't a guarantee of a pain-free life either. There is no way any parent can protect their kids from pain. That's the world we live in. It is helpful to keep our eyes on the perfect one that is ahead.