This morning we forgot our shoes. We pulled up the the drop off line. We had prayed. We had our backpacks. We had reviewed our new motto of "zero meltdowns, and get our work done". We had talked about reading all the questions on our tests. We were even discussing a book G was reading in the backseat about our friend Flat Stanley. And then, as I pulled up and began the daily "I love you" and "have a great day", I turned around and realized that G was not only shoeless but his shoes were not even in the car. Sometimes, we do it all right, only to still get it wrong. That's life and living it can be hard and frustrating and scary but that's ok.
I heard a song this week as I was running and it had a line that struck me. It said, " so I'm down in the valley, but valleys fill first". I have spent alot of time lately feeling like I am struggling to get over one mountain only to find a bigger one the other side. My job has had hiccups. My kids have had loads of changes that we have needed to adapt to. My husband is trying his best to feel better. In one week, we forgot shoes once, a lunchbox twice, and to change pants before church on Sunday morning. NOTHING has been easy or simple. So I was running one day and I heard that line and I realized that the valleys in life at least have that going for them, when the rain finally comes, they will be the first to be filled. It made me laugh. It gave me comfort. I'm not down here alone and forgotten, I'm just waiting on the rain.
The rain in life can take different forms. I would love to think that it always makes itself known with easy days, happy transitions, health and good times. Picture a commercial where the family is gathered around laughing and playing scrabble, that is the rain I want. Those houses are always clean. Their lunches are safe and packed in their backpacks. Their shoes are waiting by the door. They have eaten three healthy balanced meals and they are not only happy but also healthy. They pray before bed and then the littles fall quickly asleep while the mom and dad enjoy snuggles on the porch swing. They never forget anything, especially pants!
My rain looks totally different. My rain last week was that when we realized that we had forgotten the shoes, we didn't meltdown. We dropped off the one who remembered shoes. We drove on home and got the misplaced ones. We took the time for a brief and mostly ignored lecture and we laughed. We pulled back into the drop off line and said "I love you" and we moved on with our day. My rain looks like laughing over doing church in our jammy shorts and dress shirt. It laughs at the nerf gun in the backseat, the constantly misplaced glasses, the gluten-free dinner that bombed and the vet bill because the dog ate something not digestable. My rain is always running late which is why I am as well and why I rarely take time to do my hair or put on makeup, other than at red lights (at least they are good for something besides just making me later). My rain is not typical but when it comes, I am abundantly satisfied.
At the end of the week, a typical crazy-insane-nutty-long week, we were all in the car headed to a soccer game and I felt a little of that rain. The car was messy and dirty but quiet. The kids had pizza for lunch but were drinking water and reading. Ryan felt up to going with us and I was just enjoying the moment, when I read another beautiful line in a book I was reading. It said, "one sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak" That quote is so perfect and true. My view lately has been looking up at the big, the scary, the hard. I push myself. I push my kids. I pray for strength and perseverance. I climb, scratch, crawl my way up but I need to always remember to take a moment and enjoy the view. The biggest things look tiny from the top. The valleys will fill and the rain will come. We will conquer all our mountains, as great as they may seem from down here, and they will always be worth the effort. Thank God that our valleys fill first!
