Good Intentions!

Whew! What a Frustrating In Between Day!

Have you ever had one of those?

It was just one irritating thing after another!

Nothing terribly big enough to make me break down into tears, yet just a series of little things that can ruin the day for a person.

You know. It is a little like that song about losing keys, speeding, not being able to find your cell phone.

Those are the times and days that do seem to try us the most, don't they?

Especially when it is a day filled with good intentions.

It started with a migraine. I am new to this phenomenon. I truly do not see how people go to work with these things. Light just hurts. The room spins. My stomach lurches.

But the show must go on. Taking my daughter to school, I rush to the hair dresser, dreading even the touch of shampoo on my head or the feel of a hot hair dryer. I go to the car to find all kinds of flashing lights go off when I turn the key.

Rushing to a nearby Sears Auto store, the lights magically go off just as I pull into the service center. Of course, the mechanics run 2 hours of diagnostics and see no problem.

I should be relieved, except when I pull out of their garage and onto the highway, my blinkers begin flashing and will not go off! Naturally, Toyota can not see me until Monday.

So with flashing lights, I slowly drive home and crawl into a dark bedroom unable to enjoy the bike ride and volunteer work I was planning on this beautiful Friday.

Picking up my daughter, we fight traffic, arrive home to hear her say she left her homework folder at school. Turning around to fight traffic, we rush into school before they lock the doors.

After going home, guess what? She realizes she has left yet another notebook at school, but now it is too late.

OK Now my head is still pounding. Eyes still bleary. And I think...what in the world was today about? I feel I wasted most of this day for God, and I am disappointed.

Then I told God as I sat on my deck this evening, "Thank you. Today was about just resting and trusting in You. It wasn't fun. It was just the way life is sometimes, but thanks for bearing with me through this day."

My sister-in-law shared a similar situation about my brother two days ago. He decided to volunteer for his daughter's high school by taking his weed wacker and clearing the parking lot for them. (Ah, now you understand the picture, don't you?)

As he was doing his good deed, he heard the "CHUNK! CRRRRRACK!" He hit a rock which flew up and knocked a car window.

His volunteer work cost him $200.00!

It just doesn't seem fair, does it? I mean he had good intentions. Why does he have to pay for trying to do something right?

I had good intentions for today as well. Why did I have to struggle with a migraine and then electrical problems for my car?

For those of you who are battling disease like cancer, I am sure you are recalling the days of letting irritating details get to you, and wishing for those days back. Those days of just good intentions gone wrong seem like luxury days now as your spiritual battle is to stay at peace with God and trust God.

Yet, yet, somehow, I think the days of frustrating details some how prepare us for the bigger battles. How we respond to life's disappointments, life being "unfair" in little things can determine how we will handle the bigger things Satan and life in general throws at us.

The earthquakes, the hurricanes, the tornadoes, the illnesses, the losses, the times we are overlooked for recognition at work, the times friends don't return phone calls, the angry remark or sarcastic statement made at our expense....the hurts.

Satan wants to pull us away from trusting God. He whispers, "See, what good does it do you to be a Christian? You try to do something nice and where does it get you? Look at those others who are doing so well and not believing or following God!"

Remember, our life is like chaff in the wind. We are here for but a moment, but with God forever. Don't listen to Satan.

Join me, won't you, in thanking God for being with us even when our good intentions go wrong and our days are filled with frustrating, unplanned details distracting us from our goals even on these in between days.

For His Glory,
Gretchen