A country music morning...

Did you ever have "one of those mornings"? 


You know the ones I'm talking about - the kind you know could be made into a cheesy country music song...


Mine would have gone something like this...
The cereal was gone,
The milk spilled,
The bagel got stuck in the toaster and burned,
There was poop everywhere,
and my car wouldn't start and my oldest had to be at her Iowa testing at 8:30 a.m....


I know, I definitely have to work on the lyrics but that is a fairly accurate description of my morning prior to 8:15...Kinda made me want to crawl right back into bed. But after my neighbor offered to take Erin to her testing, I stopped to reflect on the whole situation...


Really? No cereal? Spilled milk? Burned bagels? POOP!!!??? Really? My car had to have technical difficulties this morning? Grrrrr.... 


And then, I started to laugh. Not just a little bit, but a full-out-tears-rolling-down-your-face kind of laugh. Why, you may ask? The reason is not that I've lost what little retained sanity I have, but that a song popped into my head...

This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it...

Today was no less God's careful orchestration of events than the best mornings of my life. Since I didn't get to pick the events of this (or any other) morning, the only control I have is over my response. Today (after a bit of lamenting) I chose to laugh. I really think everything will work out ok today. Besides, I have a country song to write...

An easy slide...

Yesterday I engaged in an all-out, woe-is-me, pity party for myself. Characterized by a lot of deep sighs and extreme martyrdom. Unfortunately, during the time that I was the hostess and guest of honor at the aforementioned event, I was unable to see it for what it was and I indulged much longer than I should have.


It was an easy slide. Running on too little sleep and not quite enough energy, I was vulnerable to begin with. I could make innumerable excuses, but the truth is, I should have seen it coming. 


It all started so subtly too... My hubby reminded me that he was going to be home late from work. Immediately I felt put-upon. And my thoughts went to "poor me." How inconvenient it was to have him gone all day and into the evening when I had barely slept...again. How long has it been since I've had a decent night's sleep anyway? Didn't he realize that one (or more) of the children have been sick the entire month of February. The library books are due...Warning bells should have been going off, but I was too far gone down the self pity slope by that time. When Little One developed a fever around 10:30 that morning, it sent off a whole additional slide downward. Another sick child...?! While I was completely focused on myself and how completely unfair and inconvenient my life was, I lost my joy. I spent the day feeling like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh.


I'm usually a count-your-blessings sort of person. I like to see the silver lining (or at least believe it's there). But yesterday, all bets were off. Things that normally would have been no big deal were suddenly a major inconvenience. 


After the kids were in bed, I finally sat down and tried to take stock of the day. Why was it so hard today, Lord?? He gently answered, because you took me off the throne.

Ouch. It was all too true. As soon as I removed him from the throne of my heart and put myself on the throne, I was no longer able to look up above my circumstances to God (who is my refuge and strength and a present help in times of trouble). While I was on the throne, all I was able to do was look down upon the circumstances and ever-present inconveniences of my life and feel helpless and alone.


Today will be a better day. God is properly in his place in my life and in humble reliance on him I will rise above my circumstances today. Now it's time to make things right and apologize to my kids and my husband for my rotten attitude yesterday...