Plan B

The first mistake of the day was that I slept in. The music was just so soothing on the "alarm" that I didn't really wake up. I've been trying to wake up by 5:30, stretch and exercise, and get showered and dressed. Then I wake one of my promising students for coffee with mom and one on one time, getting all their schoolwork done before breakfast.

BUT, today, I found myself scrambling. I woke up late, had some time in the Word - which was good, and helped the boys get their rooms clean, telling myself I'd shower in a minute. But then Mike the plumber came.

Now when you live in an old house, you build relationships with your repair men. Mike is one such man. Nothing gets done when Mike is here. Mike is too fun. Mike is too interesting. Mike allows little helpers to stand over him and talk his ear off, and Mike always brings cinnamon fireballs.

Mike came to change our UV bulb that filters our mountain spring water. You have to turn off the water to change the bulb. While he was working, I sorted the laundry, filled the dishwasher, and swept the bedroom floors. Now we just needed water for the rest of everything. But the store gave Mike the wrong bulb, so he had to go and exchange it.

Meanwhile, I dealt with a late credit card payment - a payment I forgot to make because I had planned on paying off the card totally when the truck money came. I knew it should be here before the due date on the card. But it's not...and I forgot to make the payment. A friend prayed with me about the details of my day: water situation, missing gloves... details.

Mike came back and changed the bulb, but something happened to the power box and shorted it out. New power box is on the way, courtesy the warranty. In the meantime we needed to switch to city water, but the valve wasn't working. Still no water. Bill hiked the mountain to our water boxes, and couldn't find the right valves to shut off the water from there.

'bout the same time, the friend who's buying our truck brought it up to have Bill help him get the camper shell and rack off, since we're selling those separetly.

Bill never made it to work this morning. I'm unshowered and in my p.j.'s. Worst thing: fuzzy teeth. It was then that I realized that God being in the details of my day didn't apparently mean the details would go smoothly. It seemed that something else was involved here: another test. God was graciously providing another opportunity to see if I could rest in Him during the chaos. If I could ask Him what His plan was, instead of being frustrated at my unfulfilled plans. Can I accept His yoke? Can I remember that He is the "lead ox", that taking His yoke, means keeping pace with Him - not getting ahead, not lagging behind?

So five reheated plates of leftovers, 2 math lessons, 2 language arts lessons, and three phone calls later, I'm still in my p.j.'s and still have fuzzy teeth. BUT, I have resisted the urge to find ways to blame everyone for what has gone wrong. I have praised the structure of 12 lego ships. I have applauded the drawing of "Gary the snail." I have made 2 beds, and changed snow-soaked boys who have determinedly dug a new snow fort. The sun is shining. Psalm 19 rings through my head.

It's all good, baby!

The Moose
A friend who lives on the other side of the mountain, captured these photos this week of the moose in her yard....and chances are, the moose in our yard was in the same group.