Just One of Those Days...

Have you ever had one of those days? The kind of morning when you have the kids all ready for school (finally, since you're running late) and as you head out to start the SUV on the cold winter day, you realize it's on empty? Yep, no gas at all in the old tank. As you watch the snow fall, you realize there's only one choice. You must drive the big truck today.

That happened to me the other day. I climbed in to start our large diesel pickup. Moments later, my children were loaded and ready to head to school. As I backed the truck out of the driveway (for more information on my depth perception or lack thereof, please see my blog about big trucks), I didn't realize a small detail in the way. Ok, so it wasn't that small. It was a large green garbage can ready and prepared for the trash truck to empty it since it was garbage day. "What was that noise?" I asked. (It's hard to hear anything over a diesel).

"Uh, Mom, you just ran over the garbage can," Sunshine told me.

"What?!" I asked. Surely not. I had checked my mirrors - had done everything right that that old Driver's Ed instructor had taught me. But sure enough, I backed up further and saw the proof. The tire tracks on the green garbage can were unmistakable. The worst part of all? It was our neighbor's garbage can!

It was just one of those days.

Or maybe you're preparing a nice meal of fried potatoes and ham for your husband. It's one of his favorite meals and he's had an especially busy day. Fussing over the stove, you smile as you realize that for once, the meal you're preparing is looking just like one of those ads in a cooking magazine. Suddenly, as you turn to the sink to rinse the salad, you spy something crawling on the ceiling - your worst enemy.

This is what happened to me that day. The fly crawling on the ceiling was completely out of place in the middle of winter. Yet, there he was sharing his germs with my ceiling. "Lon! Can you get that fly?" I said over the noise of kids doing homework, the meal cooking, and the radio loudly playing "Adventures in Odyssey."

"I'll get it," Lon said. He climbed on a chair and began to wave wildly at the fly with the newspaper. Unfortunately, my champion fly killer husband missed the target and the fly began to hobble off, half shocked, half socked by Lon's futile attempt.

I didn't think any more of the fly issue. After all, we'd find him later and take care of him...

"Please clear the table!"" I said exuberantly. "Dinner is ready!" I admired once again my meal. (What's that verse about pride coming before a fall?!)

"It sure smells good," Lon said as he eyed the fried potatoes and ham cooked in olive oil.

I stirred the meal one last time before preparing to serve it. That's when I discovered an ugly (and unhealthy!) truth. There in the middle of the golden potatoes was the fly. Yep, that same fly that had been injured in Lon's attempt to rid our home of insects. "AHHHH!" I screamed.

Lon came running to my rescue. Had I burnt myself? Had the oven caught on fire? "What's wrong?" he asked.

Caught between tears from frustration and disbelief, I pointed at the dead fly in the food. Too late to fix something else, it became a dinner of cottage cheese, cereal, and salad. It was just one of those days.

Or your oldest daughter, normally a nearly straight-a student comes home from first grade and tells you she refuses to do her homework. "Why?" I asked when this happened to me that day.

"Because I don't like that book," she declared.

"You still have to do a book report, even if you don't like the book," I told her. "Your teacher is an authority figure and we are taught in the Bible to obey authority."

Sunshine shook her head and refused to do the work. It was so uncharacteristic of her that at first I was in shock. Never before had she "bucked" the system. Never before had she refused to do her homework. She was such a good student. "Why?" I asked again.

"The book is called 'Caps for Sale' and I don't like it. The monkeys are very naughty. They steal caps and it's wrong to steal." Sunshine said. When she was younger, we called her "the lieutenant" because she has always had a devout sense of right and wrong.

"Caps for Sale?" I searched the far recesses of my worn out mom brain for the title of the book. Then it came to me. Yes, I remembered reading that book in school, but I liked it. It was an old classic and I remember finding it quite humourous.

Taught to obey, Sunshine finally did do her book report on the book, but it was the messiest and un-thorough (is that even a word?!) book report she ever did. Something good came out of it though, we have told her that if she misbehaves, we'll read "Caps for Sale" to her over and over and over again! She quickly obeys when faced with such an unfavorable prospect.

Just one of those days.

Or maybe you're speed-walking the track after lifting weights, as you do three times a week, your MP3 player playing your Christian favorite music. Then on the local Christian radio station you're listening to, the announcer begins the prayer requests and asks that you now bow your head and join him as he prays for the needs of the area's listeners. You forget you're quickly walking in circles in an attempt to burn calories and you close your eyes. Crash!

Yep, it happened to me. Just one of those days.

Finally, has your child ever asked a question that you don't have an immediate answer for? Sunshine (must have been her day!) asked me why is it that when girls become women they get big buns?

A perfect ending to a perfect day...

Even though we all have those kind of days, it's reassuring to know that God hears our frustration. As I laid my burdens at the Cross that night, I thought of all that had happened. "Thank you, Lord," I prayed. "For being there through the good, the bad, and just one of those days!"