My roadtrip weekend was wonderful. I made the 3.5 hour drive to my aunt and uncle's house on Friday, had a casual late supper with them and my aunt and I stayed outside on her patio until about 1 am just talking and laughing. There wasn't a single mosquito out that night...very unusual for Arkansas this time of year. My trip to Yukon, OK and back to pick up Linds and a friend and bring them back was tedious and tiresome, due to lots of road construction - but once I had the girls in the van with me, they were quite entertaining. Upon arriving back at my aunt's house, I was greeted by a whole group of relatives and we enjoyed another dinner and evening of catching up with each other. That night, both teenage girls ended up in the same guest room as I was, - they piled on the bed and we stayed up late talking and laughing. Those moments are priceless! After a wonderful country breakfast prepared by my uncle the next morning, the girls and I said our goodbyes and loaded back into the van and drove to Conway, where we met up with Casie in her new apartment. I unpacked a few things in her kitchen, and was really wanting to stay around longer, but after lunch, we needed to hit the road. Although I came back home totally wiped out, I was very emotionally fulfilled and what a blessing that is!
Alas, reality has hit with full force this week, and only two days later, I find myself very overwhelmed by regular life....repairs that need to be made, financial obligations, and my list seems like it could go on. It's only Tuesday nite, and I was finding myself getting into a real funk. I'm a pretty positive person normally, so I started giving myself a pep talk...reminding myself that every problem has a solution, and I simply need to put things in order of priority and just begin dealing with them. As a very wise friend of mine says "Just do the next right thing". I begin to breathe a little easier, wipe the tears from my eyes (yes, I had a good cry) and went outside to mow. The lawn mower refused to start. I had to just sit in the backyard swing and chuckle. This was so typical for my week. I actually began talking to the mower, as if that would correct whatever the problem was, and it would crank up for me. My jack russell, who was sitting in the swing with me, kept looking rather funny at me. I got up, and attempted to start it several more times, then finally gave up. My overgrown backyard would have to wait a little longer. As I walking across the yard, and stepped onto the deck, my left leg went into one of the worst leg cramps I have ever had. I hobbled back into the house, wincing in pain, tried to get the attention of Linds and a friend who was over hanging out, but all I got was..."Hey Mom, could you move? You're blocking the Wii". I realized that I wasn't going to receive sympathy or any medical help from them, so I continued to hobble down the hall and into my room. I massaged the cramp out of my calf, but it still had that "tight" feeling, the kind of tightness that screams "You move 1/2 inch to the left or right, and I'm going to cramp up again". I laid across my bed, with my body frozen into a really odd position, the only position that I could maintain without going into another cramp. Somehow, I saw my reflection in the mirror, and just started laughing. I've prayed for perseverance and patience....maybe God is just allowing a week like this in order for me to exercise using those characteristics. The cramp has worked itself from the leg down to the foot....an hour ago, my toes were curled back in a really odd formation. I guess tomorrow I'll go get some fruits with magnesium and potassium. It's obvious I have some deficiency in my body that is causing the cramps. As for the other real life worries and issues I'm dealing with, I realize that I have a deficiency as well. Instead of turning my problems and worries over to God in prayer, instead of trusting that He will show me an answer and provide a way to solve these problems and dilemmas, I have chosen to to bottle them inside, replay them over and over in my head like a broken record, and the worry has built up.
I think tomorrow in addition to buying the fruit I need for my body, I will spend some time revisiting the fruits of the spirit.
Today I am thankful for:
1. Extended family and the wonderful weekend I was able to spend with some of them. Family memories and stories remind us of how we are interwoven and enrich one another.
2. Casie being able to get a nicer apartment and a roommate she is close to. I know she is going to have a good year.
3. Linds and her friend who actually enjoyed piling up in bed with me to talk and laugh.
