The car rumbled over the highway in the droning, bored way that cars always do. A background noise that I always hated. It only added one more annoyance to the whole gang of annoyances, buzzing like summer houseflies in my brain.
"What do you mean?" He looked over, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean, you know...since I'm kind of all out of sorts this morning...since our clothes weren't ironed, I couldn't find anything to wear, the house is a mess because we had to get ready in a hurry, my hair won't fix, I forgot your shaver, Haven's in a bad mood and OUR CLOTHES DON'T MATCH -- "
"But we're married." He said calmly, deeply.
And he was so right.
According to the big picture, there's a car on the highway about halfway to church with two little girls in summer dresses. They left a house way back in the countryside that's waiting calmly for them to come home. The Mommy and Daddy are holding hands in the front seat like couples in love always do. Theres no tight-lipped silence; no sharp words.
Priorities are what need to be right - And today - right now - they are.
Happiness flourishes when we let go of the details and totally embrace that big, messy reality of love in spite of it all. Crisply starched, color-coded childhoods always seem void of the experience that mud puddles and paints lend to little hearts. Nazi clock-watching and high-stepping schedules make for husbands who wish there could be a twenty minute slot to sit down and just talk somewhere in there.
Our men need us available. Our kids need us available.
So often I see the minute-hand clicking down on the clock faster than I hoped. Where's the hair bow?Where's her shoes?! What's for breakfast? Can't leave before I sweep the floor -- but we're not meant to be so busy detailing the crevices of our lives that we can't appreciate the sloppy-sticky toddler kisses with grace.
Accepting them with a strained smile is progress.
Totally freeing yourself to be okay with frizzy hair and McDonalds for breakfast -- that's where we're getting somewhere.
I'm striving to count the blessings, not the crumbs. It's way more fun that way.
2 comments:
So much truth in this post! God wants us to be happy. To embrace this moment, this stage, this life. When we can accept each interruption of our lives as a divine appointment, we will have reached a level of godly meekness. He knows what is best for me and He allowed this situation to happen, so I choose to honor Him in the way I respond. I choose to count my blessings, instead of the crumbs. I choose joy over perfection. You are such an amazing lady!
I couldn't resist commenting. Well written!
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