A Penny For Your Thoughts

You know those moments that happen every few days if not every day, the ones where things just don't go as planned?  I unloaded the shopping cart and grabbed my purse to pay.  The problem was my purse was empty.  My wallet was gone.... Of course, my mind raced to someone stealing it, until I remembered I had gotten gas on our way to Walmart.  I quickly put everything back in my basket and asked if I could keep it there while I ran with the girls to the van to find it.  Right before I opened the car door, Alexandrea looks at me with panic and says "I have to go potty really really bad!"  Relieved my wallet was sitting on the passenger seat I grabbed it.  I grabbed the girls hands and ran back to the store.  Isa stopped us in the middle of the cross walk to grab a penny.  "Really!" I thought, "A Penny."  As we picked up our pace, she whispered,  "thank you God for this penny."  She was so happy.  Why is it so hard for we adults to stop and be thankful for the pennies in our lives.

As we're running to the washroom I quickly glanced to make sure my basket was still there.  I could just picture a clerk thinking it was items to put back.  I really didn't want to go through the whole shopping process again.  Rushing the girls to finish in the potty, I saw the forever line.  I looked around for another register.  Sheila Welsh had said something along the line of "when she gets rerouted, she has learned to look for opportunities to brighten another's day."  I saw her, a clerk with no one in her line.  She looked as if she would prefer no one to be in her line.  By the time I got my basket, the girls were somewhat falling apart.  What was supposed to be a quick stop had turned into an hour event.  I smiled at the clerk and tried to make light of my kids running around.  She wasn't having it.  She wanted no interaction with me at all.  As I paid and turned to walk away, there was Isa handing her the penny accompanied by the words "Thank you for working here."  The clerk's face lit up and we were gone.

This is not the first time Isa has thanked people for doing their job.  She learned this from her Dad, who always thanks the military for protecting us.  I have seen Isa thank soldiers, TSA workers, the security guard at our pool and now the Walmart clerk.  Every time they smile, watch her walk away and shake their head.  They're a lot of people I just expect to do their job.  Instead I'll try to take on Isa's point of view and be grateful.

PS....... after I wrote this Alexandrea's prayer was for the lady at the store......

Advice

Is there ever a time you come across something you never want to forget.  It's so good you want to keep it locked away in your heart.  I often make the mistake of thinking,  I will never forget that.  And I do.  I get busy.  Life moves on and then that moment happens when you really wish you had have wrote it down.  


A couple of weeks ago we were putting on a baby shower for someone very special to me.  As I was gathering  information from people close to her.  Prayers, encouragement and advice.   I came across an email that jumped out at me.  It was as if the words were bolder.  STOP Don't just finish this task this is for you.  It was advice from a daughter sharing about her incredible mother.

   "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."  Romans 12:15 - My mother  always has lived this out even today when her children are grown. Whenever there was a victory in my life no matter how big or how small, she celebrated as if it was her own.Through the storms in my life she has been on her knees praying with me & for me. - Bri "DeVries" Antelo

This stopped me for a while.  Do I do this?  Or am I too busy worrying. Worrying about whats for dinner or if their hair bow matches.  Or worrying just to worry.  Do I slow down long enough to celebrate?  Is there room in my life to let the girls have a good cry?  Do I see them as human beings with real feelings of joy and pain?  Or are they just kids.  I couldn't stop there.  What about those around me?  Am I someone they can come to? Can I be that friend, daughter, wife, neighbor?  This was a lot for me filter.  I need to change.     


It also made me reflect on what a wonderful parent God our Father is.  He doesn't just watch us live our life He experiences it with us.  He loves those victorious moments but He also gets in the pit and sits with us.  


I hope I remember these words and that my girls would one day say this of me ...... "through highs and lows, heartache and love, elementary, high school, college, marriage & parenthood mom was never to busy to stop and "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."

PS I know that there are days I will fail at this but hopefully I succeed more than I fail

Giants

Do you have hard time moving forward unless EVERYTHING is in place?  Let me ask it another way..... Do you run from things when they're not perfect?  This is not the best trait to have when you're trying to make future decisions.  Somewhere along the way I decided that if something was from God everything would just line up perfectly.  There would be no bumps or rough patches.  If there was sight of these hard times in the horizon I backpedaled as fast as I could.  Surely this wasn't for me.  Therefor I find it very difficult to commit to anything.  Somedays I'm amazed I got married, not because Joey is not perfect,  but because marriage has mirrored all my flaws.  And any flaws I thought were hidden have been magnified by parenthood.  The fact that I can't be perfect and someone sees that hourly is very hard.  I want to be Mother Teresa, Princess Di, Sheila Walsh and Elle Macpherson all in one.  Haha not the case.

I was reminded this week of a great truth.  I'm thankful for the story of Caleb and Joshua.   God was leading the Israelites into their PROMISE LAND and instead of embracing it, Gods people looked for all the reasons why they should walk away.  Have you ever stepped back and asked God is there anything in my life you're wanting me to embrace and all I see are the flaws?  Wouldn't you hate to miss out on the promise because you're so distracted by little imperfections?  This week at VBS, with 6 year olds crawling across my lap, listening to this bible story I was reminded....Even the Promise Land had Giants.