You know that thing that's been in the back of your mind for days, weeks or even years.
Just go ahead and do it.
Hi friends.
Happy Wednesday to ya.
I greet you slightly freezing at the local Panera that just happens to have a hole in the ceiling and plastic that drapes into a bucket to catch the drips.
Even Panera has days when it's slightly falling apart.
That's slightly comforting.
And cold.
We have enjoyed February to it's fullest, I feel, and I hope your Valentine's was filled with chocolates and everything pink.
And if you didn't get a meal out but had help with the dishes, well, that's about the same sweetness as far as I'm concerned.
The snow is still blanketing the ground here in Northeast Ohio and we are almost two months into a brand spanking new year of lovely.
And I feel that this is a great time to remind you to get out there and do whatever it is that the Lord has made you to do with joy and CONFIDENCE.
When we were first married I couldn't cook anything to save my life.
I did save our lives in a sense by overcooking whatever protein we were eating to oblivion so as not to even question the presence of salmonella or any other bacteria that could harm us.
And in doing so I also starved us of any nutritional value from our meals.
Well we can't have it all now can we?
But here's the thing- I was open for any teaching whatsoever.
(getting out soap box from under the table in Panera)
Forgive me for a little bit of a rant will you?
A dear little woman in the bathroom had a heart to heart with me about frequenting the Panera because she works close and comes weekly for lunch and so she also frequents the restroom- okay there's no NOT weird way to say that.
Her words not mine.
So there was a problem with one of the toilets and she decided right then and there to fix it and told me in GREAT detail how she did so.
Just listening to her take on someone else's cleaning job made her "number two" in my book.
Sorry, bathroom humor is a specialty of mine.
Anyway she legit asked me why none of the workers had taken care of the issue with the tissue.
Okay okay I'm done.
(snicker snicker)
I told her that I find that these youngins don't seem to notice things unless they are told explicitly to do so.
"Clean toilet" isn't "find a problem and fix it" and so they don't.
This has been a huge issue at our house and one we have tried to correct.
Don't just do what is expected, if you see a need, take the lead.
I'm still putting new toilet paper on the roll at home, but I'm hopeful.
Along with this encounter today I find that young people and young moms aren't so interested in help or asking questions as we were in my day.
Yes, I'm 47 now so I can not only make these observations but I can call young people out on them.
(sliding soap box back under the table)
One afternoon I asked one of our TEEN GIRLS with several younger sisters to help cook for to come over to MY HOUSE and teach ME how to make a pot of chicken soup.
She was awesomesauce.
She could make homemade bread and everything.
I remember her looking a bit embarrassed helping me but I was all ears.
And in an hour's time a heap of water became dinner and I was pumped.
This many years later I have never lost the excitement about plain old water turning into magical stew that can feed a multitude.
All because I asked for help.
I find that I need help with all sorts of things.
Good thing I married someone with the gift of teaching.
I hope I never stop learning new and exciting things everyday.
Except how to move word documents from one place to another.
I'm sorry Sweetheart- I'm still stress paralyzed in that department...
Anyway, nothing deep, just a reminder to do the things that you love to do because God gave you a love for them.
Make a pot of soup.
Start a blog.
Lean how to use watercolors.
Accept a speaking engagement.
Begin a small group bible study.
Set a beautiful table for your family.
Enter a 5K.
Give sour dough a "go."
Write a poem.
Make an arrangement for church.
There will always be people to discourage.
There will always be discouraging circumstances.
Do it anyway.
Do it discouraged and watch the Lord bring your joy to the service again.
I found a mug that says, "Today counts for eternity," and may have bought $100 dollars worth of them to give away.
Because we don't do the things because we forget that every single thing counts for eternity.
I can just tell that you read that last sentence too fast and didn't get the whole message of it yet so go back and re-read that.
Loading the dishwasher, texting a verse to a friend, listening to your youngest talk about how good she is at picking locks,
crazy silly games of hangman when your husband who's close to getting hung gripes the ENTIRE time because "Even on Jeopardy they give a CATEGORY!"
Even that.
Everything is service for the Lord.
I recently found it cool and surprising that those closest to the president remind themselves in the scary and even mundane by saying that they "Serve at the pleasure" of the president.
This phrase has been used since the 1789's first recording of it.
We serve at the pleasure of the Lord who created us to be creative.
So whatever it is, dive in.
Go for it.
There will never be another "You" to do exactly what you do the way that you do it!
Do what you know you should do and know that it makes God smile.
And go ahead and leave me a comment and let me know what you're doing, will you?
