I Needed That Slap in the Face

It all began when the little boy we're looking after this week came out of the bathroom early this morning, lights not yet on in the house, began to scream and cry.  I tore open the bedroom door to see if he'd been attacked, bitten or stabbed, and as I flew to him, Love was standing in the doorway so I moved around him and inadvertently caught the extremely sharp corner of the dresser across my posterior!  I cannot describe, in words, the sheer agony I am still feeling, even as I sit here typing!

Less than ten minutes later, the Man would express in not-so friendly terms that he had an urgent errand for me to do-one that HAD.TO.BE.DONE.TODAY! 

Good morning, Friday!  It's gonna be a 'great day'! 

Dad's SUV was incapacitated and that meant I was mom's taxi driver to dialysis, which was fine.  It was near the post office. But the worry he lives in brings intense stress to everyone in earshot.  And because the mechanic hadn't shown up before the rain began, he did not know what to do with himself.  So he cleaned and cleaned and interrupted when I attempted to do school later in the day...even coming in to tell me that he'd put the sponges on the right side of the cupboard under the sink!

I could ramble on about how I left the umbrella sitting in the tall grey metal can next to the front door and how the torrential rain just would not let up, how my neck muscles tightened as I drove in the storm and how the man in the Jeep behind me made it very clear that I was cutting him off because he refused to slow down so I could move from the flooded right lane to the middle lane.

Indulge me. I left the address at home for the package I was to mail for Love. I drove to Walgreens to return a video to the Redbox and the machine told me to try again...There was no disc in the plastic cover!

A disgruntled young man/boy, frustrated with his schoolwork, stormed into the kitchen, leaned in close, and, in an angry tone, spit out, 'WHY ARE YOU SO HAPPY ALL THE TIME?"  He had no idea how my flesh wanted to scream back and tell him, "I could very easily become a raving lunatic about the struggles in my life, just like you're doing right now', but rather chose to tell him how I've been angry most of my life and I am surrendering daily to my Heavenly  Daddy because it makes for a better life. Disgruntled teen boys need a lot of grace...hormones are whacked like menopausal women.  I know!

Or perhaps, I should tell about how, when I went inside a gas station to pay the attendant, he looked at me and told me there was a $5 charge for not smiling and that I owed him $5.  I smiled, apologized and he told me they charged $2 for apologies!  What a slap in the face!  Thank you, Mr. attendant, for waking up this woman that claims His joy is her strength!

Good day! How I needed that slap, as well as running to my bedroom about three different times, knees to the earth, face buried in the comforter on my bed, petitioning His help.  This is eucharisteo...

Eucharisteo means:

1. 1. to be grateful, feel thankful
2. give thanks

 Jesus was right when He said that each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34.

 It's been a Hard Eucharisteo day. Indeed, so challenging to see things with a thankful heart. But, I do choose, at the close of this day to see things differently.

~I didn't have an accident as I forced my way in front of the Jeep! 

~Because it's the last Friday of the month, I got to pick up my grandson from school.  He may have lost his glasses somewhere in the house, but the time he spent with the boys and little J. was priceless.

 

 

 

 

~Despite the flooding, by the time I went to pick up Kyler, mom, J. and get a pizza, one would never have known it rained.  Streets were dry, no rivers on the road!  And dad bought the pizza!!!!

 

 

~Dad's SUV is fixed and they can go to Walmart tomorrow, as usual.  God is good.

 

~Love came home at a decent hour, his belly filled by the boss' generosity!

 

~Flowers continue to unfurl, regardless of temps plummeting to 48 degrees from 89 in one day~

 

Have a great weekend.  Life is good.  Challenges are opportunities that haven't bloomed yet.  

Smile or you may have to pay for it!