It was a disaster. Even more so than earlier in the week when these crazy weather patterns caused Madi to wake up with biggest bloody nose I have ever seen and I almost passed out before putting every last shred of her bedding in the wash. We are on a roll here.
First of all, why is it so bright and sunny and inviting to wake up early in the morning during the summer, and then the minute school starts it is dark as night when it's time to get up? Sigh. Yesterday morning I woke up at 5:45 because I had to use the bathroom (young people, your day is coming). I should.have.just.gotten.up because I knew it wouldn't be long before my alarm went off. But it was so dark, and my bed was feeling so comfy, and it was Friday, and I wanted to enjoy just a few more minutes of sleep. Shortly thereafter when my alarm went off, I hit snooze on my old hand-me-down "Dream Machine" that used to belong to my parents and has to be at least 20 years old, if not more. (I have no idea why I don't just go to Target and buy a new alarm clock or just set my phone alarm like a normal 32 year old, but no, I use this vintage alarm clock that literally has wood paneling on it. I have issues.)
Anyway...I hit snooze, and the Dream Machine failed to wake me up 9 minutes later, or 9 minutes after that...instead my son walked in at 6:58 while I was in one of those deep sleeps of the exhausted, and was already running late. I stumbled out of bed and let me tell you, I was in a fog. So when I was getting a glass out of the cabinet for his orange juice and I saw that heavy glass from the high shelf coming down at me, I knew I should probably try to catch it, but my brain could not tell my hands to do it fast enough and glass hit granite in an ear-piercing shatter. So then I was half-asleep fumbling around with vacuum attachments, trying to clean up shards of glass and make sure no one cut their foot open and needed stitches on the fifth day of school.
By that point I was really running late. And girls, you know what that does to us moms. I start barking out orders and trying to get everyone to get a move on, but apparently I'm mute or speaking Portugese because no one seems to be hearing a word I'm saying. And I have all these ideas, ideas I think are pretty good - like Trevor brushing his teeth or Madi letting me brush her hair - but no one else seems to think they are as brilliant as I do. Instead, they want to do things like lie on the floor which only makes me more crazy.
By some small miracle, I got them ready in time and even stopped to snap a picture of them because they looked so cute no one would know that these beautiful children don't always listen to their mother, who is sometimes a raving lunatic holding a vacuum hose in one hand and hairbrush in another. And who uses an alarm clock from 1990.
After they left I sat down feeling like a loser mom, and it was only 7:40. And if I am honest, for some reason this past week was one where thoughts of the world's troubles and our own personal stresses kept threatening to surface. Do you ever have those weeks?
As I sat down, I opened one of my devotional books, Jesus Calling, and it took me to these verses...
Psalm 105:4 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
And the entry for that Friday, August 26th, read like this...
Trust me in the midst of a messy day. Your inner calm - your Peace in My Presence - need not be shaken by what is going on around you. Though you live in this temporal world, your innermost being is rooted and grounded in eternity. When you start to feel stressed, detach yourself from the disturbances around you. Instead of desperately striving to maintain order and control in your little world, relax and remember that circumstances cannot touch My Peace.
Seek My Face, and I will share My mind with you, opening your eyes to see things from My perspective. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid. The Peace I give is sufficient for you.
As I read this, I felt my frazzled mind and heart calm down. I prayed for those sweet kids I had sent out the door, who make my heart smile even on days when they make me want to bang my head against a wall. I reminded myself that even though a day doesn't start well doesn't mean it can't end well. And I recognized that even though there is certainly trouble in the world and stress in our lives, I can still be of good cheer. So that's what I told myself as I did a sink full of dishes...be of good cheer, Jennifer. Be of good cheer.
And you know what? The rest of the day was good. Not perfect, what day is? But really, really good, with both kids coming home in cheerful moods and family time and even some Sonic ice cream treats before the day came to an end. :)
I don't know what you are facing. But I know life can be messy, tiring, and sometimes downright hard. I know some people who are walking through incredibly deep waters right now. Many others are just encountering the never ending pressures of life. Wherever you are, I just wanted to drop by to give you a hug and pass along some of the encouraging words of our peace-giving Savior.
Be of good cheer, friend. Be of good cheer. He has overcome the world.
Thanks for sharing Jennifer! It was exactly what I needed to read today!
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