Blessings In A Hard Week

   We have all had them: a week where it feels like murphy’s law applies to you. Over and over the hits just keep coming. That happened to me one week. Believe it or not, the week started out with me on my first vacation (without having volunteer teaching) in 12 years!

Sunday, I woke up and went to church in South Carolina with my boyfriend’s family. Now, I had a crazy good experience there but that’s a blog for another time. The thing was the temperature was very hot down there. Like even the pastor who lives there was saying it was crazy hot. We had decided to go jet skiing that day…and we were beginning to regret it as we waited at the pier in the hot sun.

   BLESSING: jet skiing is fun, brings a cool breeze, and is exfoliating. It was so nice just being on the water, seeing wildlife, and playing let’s see who can hold onto the throttle the longest without letting go with my boyfriend.

   Monday we were headed back to Pennsylvania. We were projected to get back at 7pm. Well, because of the traffic, we made the mistake of going through Washington D.C. during rush hour, which is not only confusing but also incredibly annoying and I do not recommend. We didn’t get home till close to 8:45pm.

   BLESSING: I got to see some D.C. monuments from a distance. I spent some time getting to know my boyfriend better and see him in a stressful situation (so I know how he handles them). We were thankful to have gotten home safely and that we were able to relax.

   Tuesday, I went back to work. Which was hard enough as is, but while there I also remembered that my co-teacher was going on vacation that day (she had a half day). This meant I had more kids in my room than originally planned. Then I had an allergy shot. After my shot I just wanted to go home and rest because I was still tired from traveling. But I had agreed to go shopping with a friend so I tried to kill some time between my shot and meeting her. Well, because of work conflicts, she had to cancel.

   BLESSING: I got some recharging alone time. I got one more week with some of my older students. And, because my friend canceled, I was able to have a phone call with another friend which was a blessing.

   Things happened Wednesday but I am going to skip it as Thursday was a bomb of a day. The day started out well enough. But I got out of work later than I was supposed to. Luckily, the party I was attending was later than my boyfriend thought. I was minding my own business driving down the road when my car made a bang chink chink noise. I didn’t notice anything strange until I tried driving after I stopped at a red light… I made my way to Sheetz and parked. Sure enough, I had a flat tire. Well, I had never changed one and for some reason my lug nuts were not cooperating. I was on the verge of tears.

   BLESSING: I got paid for my extra work. A man came along to help me change the tire and helped me fill my spare. I was able to attend the party, which I thought would drain me. But the party was actually really relaxing, and I was able to get to know my boyfriend’s friends.

   Friday rolled around and I was not sure I could handle much more. I was driving on my spare tire in the morning and a light came on on my dashboard. I went to Sheetz to fill up my spare tire again, but the light didn’t go off. So, I contacted my mechanic and he said he could probably fit it in that day. The problem was I had work all day. Then I contacted my boss and asked if I could leave to get it fixed. She said they would make it work! When I got to work, the internet was not working. Music is usually what helps me get through the insanity of work and keeps me out of my head. That meant I had to fix my thoughts on the things of God. Later, I traveled to get my tire fixed. It only took one hour for me to get to the garage, get it fixed, and get back! I worked then went to the first meeting for soccer this season.

   BLESSING: The internet was fixed within an hour, and I was able to fix my thoughts on God and have my music time. I was able to get my tire fixed quickly because of people working with me and understanding. I did not lose money. I got to see the soccer girls and catch up with them. And oddly enough, I had energy to play with my students and interact with the soccer girls (introverted girl here).

   All that is to say, yeah depending how you looked at it, this was a pretty crappy week. But instead of focusing on the negative, instead of wallowing in pity, I chose to focus on the positive. I was trying to follow Romans 12:12 without knowing it. The verse says: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Let’s just say, my patience was definitely tested that week. And I learned how to better communicate with God. Would it have been nice if my week just went smoothly? Yeah, but would I have learned as much or grown closer to God? No.

   So, when problems arise what is your attitude? What are your thoughts like when these times come? How can you follow Romans 12:12 better in your life.