When we entered the room where the sea creatures dance under the sea, there were all these colorful starfish with super happy, smiling faces on the walls. And these starfish, they would just spin round and round and round and round, never stopping, just spinning. I sort of laughed to myself and made the comment to my friend that these days I feel like those starfish, spinning and spinning from one thing to another. She looked at them and said, "Hey, at least you're still smiling!"
(Photo credit: Google images)
But really, it's the rhythm of womanhood, this constant spinning from role to role, and honestly it can be exhausting but sometimes it's just plain amazing and you have to laugh when you think of all a day can hold for a woman.
Last night I chuckled as I reflected on my day, a day not nearly as busy as some, a day that wasn't as packed minute to minute as tomorrow promises to be, yet still my
roles constantly changed throughout it. I have a feeling it will look familiar to most of you...
It started as usual, getting up in the dark, packing lunches, making breakfast, making sure backpacks were packed and kids were dressed and sent off to school with a kiss and a prayer.
I've been working quite a bit but the plan was to have a day at home, so I settled in for coffee and time with God, then hit the trail with two friends for exercise and conversation. We walked four miles and talked nonstop as women do and need to do. We were almost back where we started when my phone rang. It was the school asking if I could be there in an hour to work a half day.
There went my plans to catch up on housework, pick up groceries, and wash the gray right out of my hair! We quickly finished our workout and I drove home with just enough time to jump in the shower, eat an early lunch while simultaneously putting on makeup and getting dressed, and get to school to teach second grade.
When the bell rang and school was over, I gave snacks to my two little loves then sent Madi to art club and took Trev to the library where we worked on his homework and reading. At 4:15 we headed home where I made another snack and spent most of the next two hours working with Madi on classroom homework, vocabulary homework, and reading. By the time we finished Jimmy was home from work and I was rushing to get the kids out the door with my parents so he and I could head out for an overdue dinner date, just the two of us.
But there was a student in our youth group who had a basketball game and Jimmy wanted to go out to support him, so first we headed off to the high school gymnasium and cheered him on and after they won the game we headed to Carrabba's for adult conversation over hot minestrone soup, fresh Caprese salad, and a shared steak.
However, since I ended up working and we had no milk, orange juice, cereal, etc., we had to stop at the store on the way home and ended our date night standing in the world's slowest checkout line. (This is real life romance here!) Since we hadn't ordered dessert, I picked up some frozen yogurt and was looking forward to enjoying some later, that is if didn't melt already while waiting in that crazy line.
It was late when we finally got home, and I got to work putting away the groceries and folding a gigantic pile of laundry that left me with about 10 missing socks. Seriously. And if my day hadn't been reflective enough of a day in the life of a woman, I ended the night by accidentally singlehandedly eating that entire pint of frozen yogurt straight from the carton. Oops.
This stuff of being a woman.
It's a multi-faceted, often complicated journey.
It is no wonder we sometimes talk out loud to ourselves!
But we're in this thing together, girls.
And here's a reminder as we face the rest of this day, and the next and the next and all each one holds for us...in God's strength, we can do this.
When the spinning becomes dizzying, He is the equilibrium that steadies us.
So spin on, smiling starfish, spin on!
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13
No comments:
Post a Comment