Fast Ball in the Gut

I am reluctant to write this next post because, for one, I'm not sure where I'll go with it, and two, it's a rather serious (and sorrowful) subject. With that said, I'll attempt it.

I talked in my last post about all the little things that can go wrong (falling trees, crazy dogs, busted dryers, charred fingernails...) and those little things add up, and can create stress. (By the way, I hate that word - stress - only because it is the emotion that every one shares that isn't even an emotion - it's just a factor, but not a good one, it's a bad one and when a stressful person talks to another stressful person, there is always a game of who has more stress and obviously, this is God's way of getting us to go crazy for a little while so that we can gain a perspective when something really stressful occurs, which, if you're following me, is why I hate the word "stress" as it is used in our everyday lives because it undermines the truly stressful situations...) No, this is not where I wanted to go with this post, in case you're wondering.

But maybe it is. In light of the "nervous tension" I've been feeling with this divorce, I have come to believe that God has a sense of humor when He throws us those minor curveballs that do add up. We can put them on our shoulders and carry them around with us, or we can shrug them off and say, "Whatever, a falling tree limb isn't that big of a deal." God's sense of humor comes in, when He sees we're not disturbed and throws another at us, say, an anxiety-ridden dog. Again, you can add it to the burden on your shoulder or shrug it off. Now, after 15 or so curveballs, and a giggling God, if one has not shrugged, then the load gets heavy, and the burden becomes, well, burdensome. And you start to feel drained, and tired, and sick of all the little things that are adding up. Then God gets serious on you. He gives you a fast ball and it lands in your gut.

I was thrown a fast ball this week, and it had nothing to do with my own little world. One of my most recent good friends lost her Mom to cancer this week. Every little thing in her world fell away because of this huge event. She's a good person, and though her load is unbearably heavy right now, she has good friends. Her best friend was there all day with her. I showed up without a thought, and she is going to be surrounded by people that no longer care about their "little curveballs" because she is more important than any of that. If I could take some of her pain away, I would. But since I cannot do that, I will do nothing extraordinary but tell her that she is loved and all of her friends are praying for her to receive the grace of God through memories of her mom and cherished moments with her family.

Keep looking at those four children of yours Lisa, and hear the sounds of joy in their little laughs, and know that your mom has a big part in sending those giggles to you, and she will continue to do so. You are loved.