REALITY: Two errands this morning before lunch (with wee tribe in tow) . . . it shoulda been simple. I’ve gotten them pretty well trained, right? Well, ‘in-training’ necessarily means NOT COMPLETE . . . especially when Weak Mommy makes an appearance.
The BAD NEWS: As I got ready to pay, I could NOT find my wallet. Standing at the cashier, emptying my overly cluttered purse into another bag, a few of my kiddos noticed their somewhat frantic and distracted Weak Mommy (still a dysregulating experience for two of my sweet lambs) and they went for my ‘mental jugular’ by whining, asking for every impulse item on display, picking on each other, demanding food, and basically performing the one-act play: HOW TO FAST-TRACK MOMMY TO THE LOONEY BIN.
The stranger behind me had a look. What was it? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it was something close to disgust, or judgment, or maybe impatience.
I am sure I’ve worn that face before, too.
Even so, I chose not to make excuses. I just stayed on task. It’s no one else’s business anyway. I won’t dishonor my children that way or inadvertently teach them to make excuses for poor behavior.
Besides, I knew GOD knew my kiddos were still in training. I knew GOD knew where my wallet was. I knew GOD wasn’t going to abandon me right there as I teetered on the edge of sobbing. I knew right then that our plans for the day had to change. I wrote a check (totally forgot about that option because it’s been so long since I’ve written one). Then, we got outta there!
THE GOOD NEWS: Although I was, as I said, “teetering” on the edge of sobbing and um, eh-hem, maybe even screaming, I didn’t because God’s truth from my quiet time earlier that morning was still strobing through my brain like a Lighthouse Beacon. I finally found my wallet (after looking in seven wrong places and turning those places upside down), the kids got to have Chick-fil-A for lunch instead of my less-expensive, original home-cooked plan, the errands were completed a mere 3 hours later than I’d hoped that they would be done, and the babies actually napped.
THE BEST NEWS: God’s grace and strength were abundant and on display for me and my wee tribe. He really is sufficient.
“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
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