Just For Today...

I constantly find myself saying something like this to my girls, "Think it through...Are you sure you have everything you need?"  They are always forgetting something as they leave the house.  Sometimes, I get frustrated with them, but when I do I feel guilty.

How often do I make everyone else wait while I run back to the house one more time because I forgot my cell phone, or my notebook, or whatever it is I can't do without?  Ask my husband or my sons, I've been known to go back three times before we can finally leave!  Why?  Because as I am preparing to leave, my focus is on the clock and how much time I have before we leave.  I am notorious for trying to complete two or three more tasks as I am getting ready to leave.  It makes no sense, but I continue to do it.

I have fifteen minutes before we absolutely must leave for church.  My hair is curled, but not brushed out.  I still need to apply hair spray and put on my jewelry.  The logical thing to do would be to finish getting ready and then see if there is enough time to load the dishwasher, unload the clothes dryer and start a load of washing.  Is that what I do?  NO!  And so, my family is waiting in the vehicle five minutes after we should have left.  As I run out the door, I am carrying my jewelry - there was no time to put it on.  Halfway to the truck, I run back to the house because I can't remember if I unplugged the curling iron.  I run back to the truck, make it halfway and run back to the house, because I have forgotten a book I wanted to loan a friend at church.  Again, I run toward the truck.  This time, I actually climb in.

I am huffing and puffing by now.  My husband, who clearly identifies with the Brad Paisley song, "Waitin' on a Woman" smiles knowingly and then infuriates me.  "Do you have everything?"  I absolutely HATE it when he asks that and the smug little smile that goes with it leaves me fuming. 

My guess is that you can identify with this behavior.  Like me, you are trying to get as much as you can out of every minute.  So much so, that you find yourself frazzled at the end of the day.  AND, discouraged that you didn't get more accomplished.

My mother-in-law, who works circles around most people on a bad day, often says, "Don't worry, if you don't get it done. It will still be there tomorrow."  How true.  Another wise person likes to say, "Don't get your panties in a bunch."  Same sentiment, different wording. 

Just for today, I am going to do my best to calm down and avoid my normal, frenzied pace.  I'm going to prioritize and let a few things wait for tomorrow.  And all the while, I will be singing one of my favorite songs.
   



"Why should I feel discouraged, why do the shadows come?
Why does should my heart be lonely, and long for heav'n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?  My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.
I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free;
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me!
"His Eye is on the Sparrow" C.D. Martin