Don't Miss It!

6 A.M. came early this morning.  My sweet husband woke me with a whispered, "Hey Sus, time to get up.  You gonna shower?"  My groggy mind picked around this question debating whether to beat my teenage daughter to the bathroom or dismiss the cleansing waters until I get my exercise walk in.

  I waffled interiorly even as I uttered, "Nah," to the shower, knowing I should walk.  I rolled out of bed onto my knees and gave my day to God.  I promptly got up, grabbed the towel hubby had left for me on the bed, and locked the door to signify I'm first in the bathroom line-up.  I'm not sure when I changed my mind to forgo the walk and prep for the day but it happened.

  Fast-forward one hour to walking the last two children to the bus stop.  Somewhere in the midst of a hundred yards the whispering winds and warm sunshine changed my mind for me again.  I MUST walk today.  This is an indication of just HOW BEAUTIFUL it is outside today- since I had actually curled my hair.

  I tricked myself with the thought this wouldn't be an exercise jaunt.  No, I would go to the Peninsula with the sole purpose being to soak in nature's glory.  Normally that trick succeeds in wooing me to the workout destination.  Once there I'm ready to break a sweat.  Today, I truly was mesmerized by Autumn's Last Hurrah.  Maybe I had been wooed for a soul purpose...

  I walked my familiar paths while warmed rays grazed my face.  I was surprised by the wind's insistence.  I had visualized serenity but discovered an urgency in the choppy waters that in no way lessened today's splendor.  In fact,  I became caught up in recognizing today's walk was not meant to merely delight my eyes.  This discovery came with the realization I had forgotten my sunglasses and needed to squint my eyelids shut.  Oddly enough, the wind had risen several octaves as I walked, gusting the leaves into a frenzy.   Undaunted, I walked on, blind and deafened by the gales that now rose and fell like a symphony reaching it's crescendo.  This is when I FELT why I was to be here this morning...

  My world slowed as the wind ran it's breathy fingers through my hair, caressing my face, holding my attention long enough to deliver the sun's quiet message of goodbye.

  Perhaps it was in handing over my day that I was afforded this GIFT that I had tried to pass up due to the desire to get more done.  I am so grateful I didn't miss it!  Not only was I walking in the wonder of warm weather and beautiful skies in November here in Erie, PA,  I was mindful of the seasonal passing on of the baton.  That moment woke me from my "meh" attitude of entitlement and spurred me to implore each of you to not let this day go by without lifting your face to receive the golden glow's kiss of parting.  It's not a final embrace, as we hardy Lake Erie-ites have learned.  Yet, in our town's remarkable setting, it's a thing of such concentrated beauty we are willing to hunker down through the extreme weather until it emerges once again in all it's glory.  Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is no laughing matter in these parts- let us drink in this elixir while we can!

Carpe Diem!
        

 

Pardon the Interruption (by Diane Gallagher)

Guest Blogger Wednesday. :)  The kids seemed preoccupied so I snuck into the office to compile my grocery list and meal plan for the week only to be followed by my 1 yr old who did not want me to be sitting at the computer at that moment.  I became frustrated and slumped over to the couch where Elly began to happily play, so I wrote my blog instead.

My husband lazily woke on his second day of vacation to discover that I had a broken ipod that needed fixing (water and electronics are never a good mixL).  He had been planning on getting his motorcycle inspected or taking a walk at the beach but instead he begrudgingly spent the morning at Verizon.

 Two different scenarios but one similar theme:  what we hope to achieve or do in a day is often very different from what we actually do accomplish.  In other words, as I heard about in a recent homily, life is full of interruptions.  The question is, how do we handle them?  Maybe it’s our sleep being interrupted by a sick child or our leisure time interrupted by needy children (aforementioned needs being anything from hunger to peacemaking or help on the potty).  Maybe it’s our meal prep being interrupted by homework demands or housecleaning interrupted by car pool dilemmas.  Many times my intended plans are good and important, but just obviously not what was supposed to happen that day or at that moment.  Man, do I hate that!  When I have a goal in mind, I can get very frustrated when I do not succeed.  I can get downright annoyed at the child or circumstance that became the obstacle. 

That’s why the homily on interruptions struck such a chord with me.  The homilist pointed out how often Jesus’ plans were interrupted.  For example, He thought He was going to the mountain to pray, but instead was approached at least three times, according to one gospel account, and asked to heal someone – a leper, the centurion’s slave, Peter’s mother-in-law (Matthew 8).  Each time, He said “yes” and tended to the need at the moment, laying aside His own plan for the day.  He didn’t whine about it or say “no” because He was planning on praying and preaching that day.  This doesn’t mean He would never say “no” to an interruption if what He was doing at the moment was the priority, but it’s all about knowing when we need to be open to interruptions and allow them to change our course for the day vs. when we need to stay the course we are on.  When a friend calls to do coffee, and I am in the middle of paying my bills, I may need to say “no” to the tempting interruption.  But if that friend is upset and needs to talk, I may need to stay up late that night to get the bills paid.  Knowing the difference is the true challenge.  All I can do is pray my morning offering each day – surrendering my day to God – and then pray that I can follow His subtle or blatant nudging, trusting my gut when there are no obvious signs.  I know I make poor calls sometimes and don’t always distinguish between a necessary or unnecessary interruption, but I at least hope this awareness will help me be a little more patient the next time that anticipated two-hour nap becomes a 15 minute snooze because of a poopy diaper.  My days unfold the way they are supposed to, with just the right crosses and victories necessary for me to get to heaven.  Why fight it?

When God Closes a Door ... (by Diane Gallagher)

Guest Blogger Wednesday :)  When I picked the kids up from school yesterday, one of my children entered the car with a heavy heart because he had not been chosen for something he had applied for.  I, as any dutiful mother, began to share with him about the times I ran for offices in high school and lost or applied for jobs that I did not get.  Looking back on these disappointments, I can see God’s hand at work with such clarity.  When I first moved to Chicago after college, I was frustrated and tired of the job search… I could just not seem to attain employment in an area that matched my qualifications, interests and talents.  I had a great time in the Windy City that year, but I certainly was not making any noble contribution to mankind other than financially supporting the local pubs.  Finally, I realized that I wanted to go into education which meant returning to the world of academia since I did not have a degree in this field.  I came back to my home town and received my teaching certificate and Masters in Education.    It was such a great feeling to finally be doing what I loved … And to be compensated for it!  In hindsight I can see that I had to go through that year of rejection and frustration to help me realize what I really wanted to do.  Again, when my husband and I were first engaged, we thought we wanted to move to Steubenville so he could finish his education.  I was willing to take any stinking job I could get that would put some money on the table, but I was rejected time and again.  This was humbling for me as I felt like a fairly qualified individual with good grades and a decent interview style.  After a third failed attempt at what I thought was a sure thing, I remember looking out of my parents’ kitchen window and seeing a mouse at the bottom of their empty pool (it was spring and they were preparing to fill it).  The mouse was trying to climb up the side to no avail.  I thought to myself…”the poor thing should just turn around and go up the steps that are behind him.  He’s going in the wrong direction!”  Silly as this may sound, God used this moment to open my eyes.  It was like a light bulb went off.  I realized at that very moment that maybe Jim and I were going in the wrong direction … maybe we were not meant to be in Steubenville at all.  I shared my thoughts with Jim and we decided to try a different route.  Within a week, I was sitting at a job interview in Akron and was offered the position soon after.  God had to allow these challenging situations so that we would get on the right path.  It is very hard to see this when we are in the midst of the struggle.  And it does not necessarily make the sting of rejection any easier to take.  I still get teary eyed for my “babies” when they are sad or disappointed even though I know that there is a purpose for everything.  I would rather go through the pain myself than watch my loved ones suffer.  But if we truly believe that heaven is the only goal that really matters, and that our road to heaven is laden with struggles, than we should be comforted on the journey when we encounter obstacles.  I am sure you have all heard the saying “when God closes a door,  He always opens a window” (any Sound of Music lovers out there?)  These closed doors can seem like monumental hurdles to get through if we just stay focused on one direction.  There might be an open window just waiting for us to climb through it, but we can only find that open window if we stop trying to break the door down and start looking in other directions.  

LIVE IT: Let’s take some time to think about our lives and if there is any redirecting we might need to do.