Capital "T" for Trouble

Life…it has so many twists and turns. Just when it’s smooth and straight for a time that you get comfortable, a sharp turn suddenly appears.

I have to admit. How long have I been blogging? All of….let’s see…2 weeks, perhaps. It is no exaggeration that life seemed to be a smooth, straight, almost boring road….until then. I opened my big mouth in writing to declare that I love my life, and all things simple...and it’s been a sharp turn after another, ever since.

Hmmmm.

The last 48 hours may give a small glimpse.
On Thursday morning, I walked the boys out to the curb for their carpool pick-up for school, only to find myself locked out of the house when I tried to get back in. Fortunately for me, it was one of those rare days when I actually took my robe and pajamas off to go outside…I had on torn jeans, an old sweatshirt and house slippers. With no way to get in (I have to admit…I’m a little more pleased with the security of my home), I hopped our 8-ft. fence in the back. In a frenzy, I proceeded to try to BREAK an already cracked window over my bed, by beating it repeatedly with a baseball glove on my hand. I had to be at my new job in about an hour and with no end to this frustration in sight, I resolved to drastic measures….all the while cussing at myself for NOT giving the neighbors a key, as I had intended about 4 times…and never followed through with!

The glass would NOT break. I am either a wimp…or God was protecting me from what could have been a disastrous injury to me.

Long story short, after an hour, I finally did get in. Thank you, my dear friend, Chris Wilson, who basically got out of bed and drove over to save the day.

As I got into the house, I then received a call from my boy’s school. The Valentine’s cookies that I had stayed up very late making…and sent with them to school….were nowhere to be found…and could I bring some more? Uh….NO! But instead of letting my answer be strong within me, I worried about those cookies….and what were the teachers thinking about me… the Mom that didn’t follow through with her cookie committment? Did she REALLY make them?

But what I want to know is where ARE they? How a 4-year-old can LOSE a container of cookies between the car and the classroom is beyond me!?

I made it to work…and survived the day. Tomorrow will be better.

FRIDAY….Bill and I wake up to a horrible, insidious, awful stomach virus! Seriously. How can we take care of two little guys, when we can’t even sit up (unless we’re throwing up) or even THINK about food, while their saying, “Mommy, can I have some pancakes?” Oh for the love…..!!!!

By 2:00 in the afternoon, Blake was sick, too. What a day.

Tomorrow will be better.
And it was….relatively speaking. We could eat. And it stayed in.

SATURDAY NIGHT…I was up ALL night, with one kid or another, for various reasons, unexplained to me by the Powers that be. I think I slept a choppy 3 hours.

Here I am… SUNDAY morning. Today will be better. Please, Lord.

But this is what is on my heart today.
Jesus said in John 16, “…In this world, you will have trouble….” I used to think that meant this ominous T-R-O-U-B-L-E, in all caps. I am starting to believe that means, in this world, you will be frustrated, irritated, life won’t necessarily be easy, in fact, sometimes it will be downright hard! But before Jesus tells us that we will have trouble, he says “I’m telling you this, so that IN ME, you will have peace.”

OK, Lord. I understand. Life is loaded. But in YOU, we can have peace in spite. Lord, lead the way. My life may not be picture perfect….or always simple…but I can have peace in you. And…oh yah, Lord…THANK YOU for the simple moments in between the troubling ones.

At the closing of my writing this post, my 4-year old came into the computer room and told me that his toilet is leaking on the floor. I have to laugh!