A Mile on my Hip

Yesterday started off wonderfully. Isaiah and i packed a few things for the day and headed off to Rockford where i met up with my mom. My mom loves to bike ride and at a very young age instilled in me an appreciation for it. It has been a couple years since i have consistently gone bike riding but this summer i decided i was going to become more intentional about it.
We started off on a trail headed south and very soon after turned around to head north for a new experience. We hadn't gone too far when we bumped into some friends, and then some more friends. After chatting for a bit we finally began again and not to long afterward Isaiah started whining a bit. I gave him a snack and it kept him satisfied for a while longer. Soon enough he was ready to take a break so i took him out to let him walk around, cool off, and hopefully nurse.
He was happy, but refused to nurse. Now the only times he refuses to breastfeed is when he is teething. Aaand of course i had forgotten to bring his teething meds.
(Humphrey's 100% all natural Homeopathic Teething Pellets = i love them)

We decided that it would be best to head back to the vans which were only 2 miles away. Nope! Isaiah would not go back into the bike trailer. He completely refused and had enough. I tried to entice him many ways, and was also very stern, but he was done.
Needless to say, i ended up walking a mile with him tied to my hip and pushing my bike and trailer to the nearest road where my mom met us with the van.
I had been up since 5:30 with him and was very tired at the end of the day. It Wasn't exactly how i had envisioned a relaxing, enjoyable day... but my days excitement isn't up to me anymore, which is perfectly fine because God has chosen me to be the leader of my sons life, and i feel so blessed!

Anyways, it reminded me of how little i have to do to sustain my well being of life. It is so very different from how other women in other countries have to live. Bike riding for me is leisure, but for them it would be a Great means of transportation beyond walking. You've heard the term "a common women in Africa has to walk on average 8 miles a day to get the water that her family needs" ?

Well its true, and we really have no idea how that must feel! There has got to be a feeling of relief when they finally reach that water, and even more so when they return home.
They carry their little ones on their backs and hips every day while they make these walks, and nurse along the way. Not to mention the heavy water on their heads all the way home. How exhausting that must be! It just baffles me that i have so Much and they have so Little. I hope that they receive a much larger prize in Heaven than i, for they deserve it so much more! Though every women has weak moments, those women seem to have such a ruthless dedication that i could never compete with!
There are days when i am too lazy to bring my laundry out to the drying line or unload the dishwasher or clean up Isaiah's toys... for goodness sakes he has toys, and i have a dishwasher!

I am so blessed, WE are so blessed!


... enjoy the pics of Isaiah getting his way ;-)