So I woke up early again this morning, eager to start crossing things off of my to-do list. I got on to the computer, did the bookkeeping that was needed, printed out a few things, then got to the breakfast making. Milk, cereal, smoothie, tea...check, check, check, check.
Went downstairs to get the kids, left my daughter picking out her clothes for the day, then opened my son's door...YAY!!! No poopie mess today. Today is going to be so much better...
I go downtown, get the few things I need in record time... Today is awesome. Get to the church early to set up for the Mom's Group. Today rocks. Get out of the truck with bags in hand...then I hear this little beep as the door shuts. Somehow, I have just locked all of the doors to my truck. With my kids and the keys on the inside. Nuts. I check all the doors to no avail. So then I phone my father-in-law (an angel in disguise), and ask him to pretty please get the spare key from our house, and come rescue us. The ladies start showing up for the group as I stand outside in the freezing rain and try to entertain my kids so that they don't realize Mommy is not such a great Mommy today. My son thought it was awesome that I was standing outside his door making faces at him. My daughter, well not so much. After about 15 minutes, my father-in-law (FIL) phones to ask if we have a spare key outside somewhere because (today of all days) he doesn't have his key with him. Now I am ready to burst in to tears. There are few things on this earth I think to make you feel as helpless as not being able to get to your children. God was teaching me something here. I think it was that as in control as I think I am sometimes (this morning I was sure feeling it), I still have to rely on him. And boy was I talking to him this morning. I tell my father in law that no, we don't keep a key outside, but there may be one in the shop. As I hang up the phone, a police car drives up. All I can think is that I'm really not THAT bad of a Mom, honest. It turns out he was there for our pastor. He did show amazing empathy for my situation, and even offered to help, so thank you kind stranger! I called my FIL back, and he was on his way with the keys. Then I phone my husband to tell him that today was not looking to be any better than yesterday.
But now, a couple hours later, as I sit here telling my story, I can choose to look at it two ways - I can wallow in another day gone sour, or, I hope, I can think about all the amazing people I have in my life to turn to when things go awry. I have a sympathetic husband, who, since he is self employed, can almost always come to my rescue. I have an amazing FIL, who has been my guardian angel on more than one occassion. And there were so many other people this morning - the church secretary, the police officer and other Mom's from the the group who were so understanding of my mistake and showed me grace rather than judgement. So maybe there were so many lessons in this morning's antics that I can't actually realize them all right now. All I know is that I am blessed in more ways that I can even think of.
I was reading a devotional this morning of a Mom who had handled a situation with her children in the way that seemed the best at the time, with (as far as I can see) no lasting damage done, and with lessons calmly learned. She was trying to get the point across that sometimes we are all a little slow to listen to the lessons God is trying to teach us. And while most ladies commented that they too have been a little slow to learn some days, and that we all can get too busy focusing on other things to listen to his voice, there were so many women who got lost in her story with her children that they completely missed the point of the devotional - not getting so distracted we can't hear what God is trying to say to us. Today was an amazing demonstration of that.
Today I will leave you with a prayer for opening your eyes and your heart to God. You can't know what he is doing in your life unless you stop and listen. Thank you God for the grace that you have shown us. Thank you that you choose to love us despite our sins, and our failures. May you work through us to show that amazing gift to others'. Is Jesus' name, Amen.
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