Saturday

This past Saturday was a day of highs and lows. A day of laughs and tears. Not really a day to remember, but a day to consider.

We were going to spend the morning in El Cajon, picking up trash. This was to be our Give A Day, Get A Day volunteer assignment. Give a day of service and get a day at Disneyland. But that was not to be. Our event was re-scheduled due to rain.

So a gloomy, rainy Saturday lay ahead. I don't mind those kind of days...as long as I don't have to go out in them. So a rainy day at home sounded just fine. Coffee in hand, newspaper in lap, morning news on, and the only one awake ( besides, of course, Amy and Alley)...I'm content.

But that didn't last long. The news was not good. Earthquake in Chile, young girl missing from jogging trail, impending tsunami because of the earthquake in Chile...suddenly the contentment of the stormy morning turned into a very unsettled feeling. My world was now eerie and unfriendly.

And reading e-mails later did not make it any better. I learned that an acquaintance of mine lives right next to where the young runner went missing. And I learned that Christian missionaries were under attack in India. I'm telling you it was beginning to feel like the end of the world as we Christians know it. I'm thinking that Jesus will be here any minute to collect us all. It was time for prayer and time to turn the whole mess over and to lay it in God's hands. It was time to remember; "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus". Philippians 4:6-7 It was time to feel God's peace.

And I did. And the day wore on. And all of those things were on my mind, but I had turned them over. And I was feeling more at peace with it all.

And then we made cookies. And we all played Monopoly. And we laughed and we had fun. And my teenage daughter texted her friend saying, "I love rainy days, I love hanging out with my family"...priceless!

Oh and I should tell you the funny part. My daughter must think that I am certifiably crazy. My husband and my father were in the driveway replacing the battery in my car. I was in the kitchen making cookies when a downpour hit. I said, "oh, I'd better take an umbrella out there and hold it over them". And my daughter responded with, "oh Mom, don't worry about them, they'll be all right, they're under that big bush you know..." "Ummm, huh?", I asked. "The bunnies", she answered, "they won't get wet under that bush". Bunnies?? I was talking about my husband and my father. My daughter seems to think that I would actually run out into the rain and hold an umbrella over bunnies!! Really??

So now you can see the range of emotions that covered that day. Not really a day to remember, but a day to consider...