Rolling with the Punches...

The saga continues...

So...we (he) made an appointment to have that cracked windshield fixed on our car and literally (not metaphorically) we were rear ended by another vehicle the morning of the appointment.

What I noticed about the incident/accident is that while my husband and I both showed kindness and compassion to the young man who failed to use his brakes at the red light, instead allowing our back bumper to do the job for him; we weren't all that kind or compassionate to each other. We weren't mean but we were nicer to the man who hit us than to one another. Both of us have had car accidents that were our fault when we were younger and I think this allowed us to remember how it felt and gave us compassion for this young man. I am glad as I think he needed it.

Where we failed, was being there for each other. I am not complaining as I am as guilty as the Hubby...we weren't there for each other. To give credit to one another , we didn't realize we needed it. But...why do we married people sometimes show more compassion to a total stranger than to one another?

We kept going...I mean we have this giant TO-DO List..and DO we must!

But, later I felt achy... not from the accident but I think just from being so tense about the experience of the accident.

So, I took a moment to really thank God that no one was hurt, that my husband is a gracious man who can be kind to a young man who makes a mistake and that THIS...thankfully is no big deal! A peace came over me...

My windshield is fixed like brand new...and Monday morning my car goes in for repairs to fix my smashed rear end!

We will keep rolling on and doing our TO-DO List...

Cracked Glass...and Other Crack Ups!

My husband picked me up from work for a quick lunch the other day and I noticed the spot where a rock had hit our windshield had become not just a little spot but rather an inch long crack.

"Whoa...How did that happen?" I asked.
He said " I must have hit a bump...and it's spreading! "
"Well, our insurance pays 100% of your front windshield replacement and we should just take care of that! " I commented.

Now, I said we...but I meant he. We nor he has taken care of it. More importantly...I did not take care of it! (There is no "I " in teamwork...wait that's not what it means...) that was a week ago....
it it now about six inches long.

I looked at it yesterday and I have decided that the crack in the windshield is a metaphor for our lives right now...

I am just hoping the windshield doesn't land in our laps!

Our to-do lists keep growing and we don't seem to have enough hours in the day...

Easter... New Beginnings

Today a young man sang a song in church that moved me to tears...it wasn't the words although they were beautiful...it was the way he sang the song. He put everything he had into it, using his gift from God to his fullest potential. I wish I could sing like that...I so... can not! It's not my gift and certainly it wouldn't be from God if I did break out in song.
A yet, a new song is in my heart.

His song did remind me that for awhile, I haven't been using my gifts from God, to my full potential. I haven't any good excuses but rather instead deluded myself in thinking...that either my gifts weren't needed or worse maybe I never really had them to begin with. The trouble with this line of thinking is that while you may not use your gifts...God will make your passion bigger and bigger until you have to use them!

My husband and I have made some changes, for some time now we haven't worshiped at the same church as our children. They have each married wisely and they have each picked churches that were right for their families. While my head has understood all of this...my heart has missed them at every turn. I refer to this as "the ghost of children past". I have spent about 5 years missing my children in the halls of our church! I love our church and consider the people there our family but for the last two years, both my husband and myself quietly thought of leaving. Neither one of us wanted to hurt the other by bringing it up but this heaviness in our hearts persisted.

Our passion for serving the homeless led us to a new church where 200 are fed every Sunday morning, even Easter...or should I say, especially Easter! Their mission statement is simple and easy to remember... Making God's love real. It was our passion that led us to this church and our passion will lead us to serve there.

I will miss our old church family, as I miss worshiping with my children but I do know that we, together will always be a part of God's family!

I welcome new beginnings....Happy Easter!