My Official Resignation

There’s no better way to start the week than with a Costco run (said no one—EVER!).  I strolled the aisles with a laser focus, becoming only slightly distracted by a camping chair display and a great deal on ThermoFlask water bottles.  My mood was so good that I threw caution to the wind and impulsively grabbed a box of Jimmy Dean individual breakfast quiches from a freezer end cap. Visions of boys thrilled with a new breakfast option danced through my head as I waited to check out.  

Reality hit the next morning.  Two of the three boys took one look and declared it disgusting, spewing a string of complaints that led me to do something drastic....I resigned all of my motherhood duties, effective immediately.  I calmly informed my two ungrateful offspring that they were on their own for the morning. The car would be leaving at 8:15 to take the one grateful child to school.  If they were interested in riding along, it would be up to them to be buckled in at the appointed time.  

The next hour was a quiet one.  Grateful child, sensing the gravity of the situation, murmured loving praises while exhibiting his best behavior.   The other two didn’t seem to know where to start.  It took so long to make their lunches that they weren’t able to get their other morning tasks complete.  One didn’t eat breakfast and forgot his homework.  Both forgot to pack a snack.  While they struggled to prepare for their day, I gloried in a cup of coffee and an early devotion time.

As we drove to school, I talked about how rude and ungrateful they were, and asked them to consider if they wanted their mother back after school.  Behavior and attitudes would need to reflect it, and dinner hung in the balance.  I explained that I loved them deeply, but I would not be treated in a disrespectful manner.  

They jumped out of the car and we all proceeded with the day.  I prayed that nothing would happen to any of us since we left one another on a sour note.  It hurt my heart to draw such a hard line.  My stomach rumbled with sympathy pains of hunger for my oldest, who left for school with an empty stomach.  I wanted to sneak into my middle son’s classroom and give him a big bear hug.  

The after school routine was decidedly more pleasant than before school.  The boys quietly unpacked their bags in penance, with my oldest gratefully eating the untouched breakfast that I saved for him as a snack.  It seemed the Jimmy Dean quiche wasn’t the most disgusting thing in the world!?

I debriefed one-on-one with the boys at bedtime.  Each had a different take on the morning’s episode, and a different lesson to learn.  And even I left the day with a lesson learned.  How many times have I been encountered something unexpected and responded in a knee-jerk, ungrateful manner.  I can tell you (as a type-A woman) the number is higher than I’d like to admit.  

While I felt like I rocked this week’s Costco trip, I realized that God is the ultimate Costco shopper.  He knows exactly what items should go in my cart to strengthen and sustain me.  Who am I to grumble about something He chooses for me.  Thankfully, He doesn’t resign from His role as God in the face of my ingratitude.  

Cheers to Jimmy Dean quiche and the unexpected God puts in my life. One fills my belly, the other my soul❤️.

A Not-So-Fond Farewell to January

If only I would have known....the drama that surrounded the start to our year would carry through the entire month of January!  I should have confiscated all the kids' Christmas candy and hunkered down with a series of Netflix originals.  It's been a challenging month.  The damage to our SUV caused by the December hit and run has been technically repaired, but the sensors aren't functioning properly.  I have spent a large percentage of my "free" time in a series of unsuccessful appointments with hopes of fixing the problem.  But car problems are a walk in the park compared to the call I received in mid-January.

Darin and the boys ventured to the mountains for the boys' first competitive ski event.  I stayed home to breathe and conquer my beginning-of-a-new-year to-do list.  The first twelve hours were magical, until I was in the shower and heard my phone ring.  And then ring again.  And immediately ring a third time.  I jumped out of the shower, sure that it was ski patrol calling about about one of my four boys.  Being wet from the shower and haywire nerves induced a level of shivering that made it nearly impossible to unlock my phone.  I clumsily navigated through screens to return the latest incoming call.  The man who answered the identified himself as Keystone Ski Patrol.  He was with my son, John, who had been in an accident.  "There is a lot of blood, so I'm unsure of the extent of his injuries.  I can tell you that he has lost a tooth.  Do I have your permission to take him on the sled to the medical clinic at the base?"

By this time my head was spinning as I paced the floor, every ounce of energy being used to stay calm.  "Yes!  Please take him to the clinic!"  The call ended and I dialed my husband's number with record speed, directing him to GET HIS HINNEY TO THE CLINIC!  I rushed upstairs to dress, then rushed back downstairs to.....to......to do what exactly?  My child was hurt. The adrenaline pulsing through my bloodstream made me want to jump into my car and drive in a Mario Andretti fashion to my son.  My brain was able to function just enough to identify this as a bad idea.  The likelihood of being pulled over or getting in an accident on the ninety minute drive were high, not to mention that Sunday traffic in the mountains would be a nightmare.

Would chartering a helicopter be overreacting?

Then I felt a seed of calm settle in my soul, and an urge to be still.  BE STILL?  My mind stopped spinning.  I remembered the devotion I had been writing about God reigning.  The devotion was due to be emailed out later that day.  It needed to be finished.  Only God could orchestrate this situation with an injured child and a deadline demanding me read about God reigning.  Only one question remained....was I going to just write about it?  Or was I going to live it out?

And so I planted myself in the truth of Scripture and typed what I learned.  The seed of calm grew with each verse I read until it seemed I had been completely shaded from crippling fear.  I read and typed and prayed and waited.  What felt like hours, but was actually only forty-five minutes passed.  Darin called with the official report.  John had, in fact, lost his front, permanent tooth.  But there were no other injuries.  No concussion, no cuts or bruises.  My long exhale was a praise that reached heaven as I joyfully listened to my son's voice telling me that he was ok.

John’s new nickname, “the Toothless Shredder”

The seriousness of the situation had faded by the time the crew arrived home hours later.  They had spent the drive home in deep debate over John's impending fake tooth.  He could be just like that guy from the movie "Home Alone" with the gold tooth!  But wait, gold costs a lot of money.  What about silver?  Yay!  A silver tooth would be awesome!  Or green!  John's favorite color is green!  A green tooth would be perfect.  I was privy to the end of the debate as I met them in the garage, unable to stand one more second without hugging my toothless boy.

So in addition to the series of car appointments, I've added weekly dental appointments to my calendar.  (FYI--John will not be getting a green tooth replacement!)  While my free time has been eaten up with all these appointments, the time waiting in a variety of reception chairs has provided me the opportunity to reflect on the fact that God reigns over every.single.thing in this world.

Psalm 93:1 tells us that, "The LORD reigns, He is robed in majesty; The LORD is robed with majesty and armed with strength; Indeed, the world is established, firm and secure." (The Message translation)         

The question I am left asking is this.....will I recognize His power and position?  Allowing Him to reign enables the seed of calm to grow into a sapling.  Relinquishing my perceived control to the One who really has control spurs the sapling to grow into a dense tree.  This dense tree of calm provides thick shade from the worries of life. 

Who am I kidding?  For all my planning, I am obviously not the one in control.  My recent free-time has been spent researching permanent tooth replacement options for a seven-year-old.  I think I'll let God take it from here:-)  I could use a rest in His shade.