Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Monday, May 3, 2010

God Doesn't Do Voicemail

Well, with best laid intentions comes change and reorganization and re planning etc etc.  I knew this when I posted my Friday to do list for the weekend, but thought at the time it may behoove me to actually make a plan for a weekend - not just wait to see what my husband was doing then fit my tasks around that. Well that seems to be the silliest plan ever.

It started out relatively well, I was working at the office near home on Friday which opens up two extra hours of time.  So, I left work on time and stopped at the grocery store on the way home before picking up the kids - boy can I be efficient when it's just me and the buggy (yes honey that's a shopping cart).  Watch out fellow shoppers - I get a thrill out of flying through the store and was almost on the brink of being the crazy silver haired lady that pushes her cart into you if you're taking too long picking out pork chops - they are all the same just pick one and move on.

Getting the groceries done freed up a good 1.5 to 2 hours on Saturday or Sunday that would have been otherwise devoted to getting the food with at least one child at the wheel of the race car shopping cart - beeping the horn at anyone that gets in our way.

Friday night was nice and relaxing - beautiful weather, take out pizza, kids playing, husband putzing in the garage ... most importantly me sipping a glass of 2006 Passages Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot on the patio swing - delicious stuff try it some time.

I guess I should admit here that I did not get all of my list completed.  

Saturday morning my husband and I split up the day and the kids - he took our youngest to a meeting and I took our oldest to a doctors appointment.  After the Dr. we (oldest and I) enjoyed bagels coffee and juice boxes at an outside patio table - so European.  Then we headed to a cabinet store so that I could get an idea of options for additional cabinet space in our kitchen.  So I traded the pantry clean out for beginning the getting of a pantry organization cabinet that would not only match our existing cabinets but make the pantry something more than a stuff and quickly shut the door closet.  Still kind of sort of on track.

We head home and it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL outside.  While my goal oriented side is telling me - you told people you were going to wallpaper and paint - my practical revise as your go side is saying it's beautiful out and you do need to do outside work - save the inside stuff for the rainy weather.

So I decide to clean out the leaves from our front flower beds in preparation of putting lava rocks there to perturb any future weeds.  Trying to decide how to make this "fun" for my kid.  Here we go...

Me: "Sweetie I want to clean out the front flower beds - how would you like to ride your bike out front while I do that - though you will have to stay between the neighbors mailboxes where I can see you and be sure to get over if a car comes ... ?"

Son: "Umm..."

Me: Thought - uh oh

Son:  "Well Mommy, you only have two hands, but if you put your two hands and my two hands together we'd get four hands (woo he is paying attention in math class - or did he use fingers - can't see I'm driving) and four hands will get the work done a lot quicker than just your two.  So I'd like to help you with cleaning out the beds"

OK, yes I'm gloating, but geez I'm just so proud of that boy at this moment.  He has been listening and gosh he's just won me over!  Completely.  Please keep being such a good caring person the rest of your life.

He proceeds to add a very thought out process of integrating the husband and other son when they get home to make even quicker work of the flower beds - he even got our dog in the act because she could stomp on the weeds.   He was a great help and fortunately or other wise we were done with the cleaning out when the rest of the crew arrived home.  We had all the weeds pulled and dumped, all the dead leaves removed and shredded and dumped.  Oldest even decided that since we worked so hard we should get freeze pops to take a break - awesome idea.

As part of the break a neighbor stopped over and she and I were chatting on our patio ... that's when God,  frustrated with the whole voicemail thing, hit me like a wall.  My sinuses let go and oh the drainage and following sore throat.  Like - nothing and then boom SICK.  It kind of went down hill from there.  I really wasn't feeling good the rest of the day but pushed through the trip to get the lava rocks and get them loaded and run to a craft store to get the felt to finish the jewelry box hubby's been making for me for four years ... future post of his awesome woodworking abilities.

Sunday I made it through church and after lunch at home I decided it best to nap with younger son - so he wouldn't be so lonely - it's all about the kids.  I only got laundry washed and away on Sunday.  

The walls are still flowers, the quilt still undone, the beds are ready and awaiting the rocks.  I am still free and not committed.  Laundry is ... as laundry always will be - for ever there - kid of like a metaphor for God.  I'm recovering after much sleep.  Thank you God for ignoring my silliness and making me take a break when I needed to - reminding me that even you had to take a break after 6 days of hard work - Geez if you have to then I better too.  And I shouldn't worry so much about "getting it all done".  Rather I should enjoy your presence, the gift of my family and of course sleep - what a wonderful blessing.

Voicemail is now off ... calls are once again being received...

1 comment:

  1. Beautiful Ending, Heather!
    Still, it sounds like you got lots done! There is always next weekend. Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete