Macy and the String

Journal Entry: Summer 2004

I am pretty tired, and it has been a long day... so I will most definitely keep this one short. I woke up this morning to a thunderstorm; there is something so wonderful about storms that makes me want to curl up under the covers and sleep just a little longer... so, that is what I did! I pushed the snooze button way too many times which is the worst possible way to start my day! When I finally came to my senses, I leapt out of bed and rushed to the shower... and that set the pace for the rest of the day! Uggghh! Rushing down the stairs I stumbled a little, and thought about cursing the person who convinced me to move into a second floor apartment. I decided that silence was a better choice. Just as I hit the bottom step, I thought, "Shoot! I should have grabbed an umbrella!" With no time to waste, I darted to my car which was across the parking lot, seemingly a quarter of a mile away. By the time I collapsed into my car seat I was drenched, and I thought, "WHY did I BOTHER fixing my HAIR?!" Getting on the freeway, I discovered that my fear of rainy day traffic was correct. My eight minute trip to work took approximately twenty-six. As I opened the office door, I rushed to answer the already ringing phone to discover that my boss was on his way, even though he is supposed to be on vacation. So I scrambled to do all the little tasks that I had left undone yesterday. I felt like I was in a whirl wind all day long--phones ringing, potential new families visiting, and some sort of catastrophe every hour on the hour. Headed home, I stopped by the mailbox to see if my LONG-AWAITED loan papers had finally arrived --- NOPE, of course NOT! When I finally walked in my door this evening, I noticed my dog had a rather long ribbon hanging out of her mouth; when I tried to take it away, I realized that she had swallowed a portion of it; and as I pulled it she began to vomit... try as I may, it would not come loose. So the only thing I could think to do was to cut the rest of it off. I guess I will discover soon enough how she digests that! As I kneeled down with gloves, carpet cleaner, and a rag, I thought, "Life just doesn't get any better than this!" After I put my cleaning supplies away, washed my hands, unloaded the dishwasher, and offered Macy a piece of lunch meat (to make sure she still had an appetite), I sat down at my desk to check my email. While I was IMPATIENTLY waiting connection, I noticed a calendar that one of my students gave me.... On the front it says, "When God thinks of you, He smiles!" I chuckled a little under my breath and thought, "Yeah, I bet He does!" I flipped to today's date and read, "Live your life while you have it. Life is a splendid gift-- there is nothing small about it." For the first time today, I stopped rushing and doing.... I paused for a moment to catch my breath. Life is a gift. We should use every opportunity to savor every moment of the short time that we have. It isn't about rushing and doing.... and making more money, it's supposed to be about sharing it with others, making a difference, enjoying the gift. So I took some time to repent and commune with my Father, and I realized that if I had just taken the time this morning.... I would have had a different day. Thank God, tomorrow is a new day, fresh, with no mistakes in it yet... Tomorrow, I pledge not to push the snooze!