Un-jumbling the Jumbles

Some days so many things happen to me that I feel like I've lived a whole month within the few short hours that are "today". Today has been such a day. 

Being Sunday, today started out with my getting ready for church and heading there early as part of the Worship and Arts Sound Team. My getting there early today seemed, however, to be impeded at every turn; pieces of clothing I'd planned on wearing were missing, others didn't fit right all of a sudden. I have a propensity for 3/4 or long-sleeved black crew neck or mock turtleneck tops. Even though I own several, I have a favorite. I think it might be in the laundry. The other top I picked in my mostly dark room was a new one I'd found on clearance at WalMart, not my favorite store. The top was long enough, but the arms were five inches past my wrists. Uh, I strongly dislike sleeves that even cover my watch! So, just getting ready was a challenge. 

Then, there's the puppy. You don't just walk down the stairs in my house and out the front door. There is a four-legged fur-kind to be dealt with, a 4-month old mini-Schnauzer named Duchess Georgette Bauer, aka Georgie, aka Gigi, aka George (named the same day as the future British King, and current British Prince.) Nope, Georgie needed to get her wiggling body out of that pen and she needed to go outside, so out back we went for her morning constitutional. That accomplished, I hugged her (I've been accused of replacing my youngest with her. It's just not true, I aver.) and headed out the front door to my car, only to discover my key was not with me. Back into the house, checked the key basket. Nope, not there. Up the stairs to the bedroom. Fortunately Roy had awakened already and fished my keys out of his pants pocket from the pair worn yesterday. Finally I was on my way.

So, I arrived at pre-service rehearsal a good 15 minutes late, ugh. Things were already moving along so I took my place and did my thing, which I enjoy immensely. My cohort Holly and I were on a roll today. She owns the sister of my puppy. We share "baby" stories all the time. (I have NOT replaced my youngest with my puppy.) She's making ewok costumes for them to wear for Halloween. (No, no I'm NOT!) Anyway, we've been having a grand time discussing and laughing, all while mixing sound, and taking care of other responsibilities. It was a great time. 

Somewhere in the midst of this, I caught the eye of a friend of my husband's, mine too, but he knows him better than I do. He came over and we chatted about this and that. Do you ever have a sense that a conversation is life-changing? Not able to go into details at this point in time, but I feel that conversation today will be life-changing for me. I've had a quiet excitement considering some of that conversation throughout the day, a real high.

During all of this I was thinking of my youngest, Maddie, competing to be part of this year's competition team at her culinary school. The try-out occurring during this time. I was so scattered in my thoughts, it was a little crazy. 

After church my son, Danny, and I headed to the store and bought some items for a special repast once we were all home together. We came home, put away a few groceries and Roy arrived home from the second service of church that he'd attended. We told him all about our special purchases. Then we discovered that the Smoked Salmon spread and the fresh Pico de Gallo requested at the fish and deli counter of the store had certainly been packaged for us but never handed over, our special meal being turned into a lesser snack. lol...it was still delicious. And Roy, being the wonderful guy he is, later in the day found himself at said store and purchased the two items he thought we'd mentioned, smoked salmon spread and seviche. Close, very close. 

I had some work that needed completing for a payroll weekend. Problem was, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I needed a nap. I succumbed and took a 2-1/2 hour nap. Ah Sundays. I love a good Sunday nap! Once up, it was time to get to that work, though, so I did get to it. 

I forgot that my phone had died and I had it plugged in upstairs. Apparently I'd missed a call from Maddie because she texted her Dad to let him know about it.  He later delivered the message that my daughter would like to speak with me. So, up the stairs I went, turned on my phone, newly charged, and found a voice mail. Imagine my shock when the voice on the recording wasn't hers but was my mother's. 

From that point my day changed. My mom had some not-so-great news about my sister-in-law, Nadya, a mighty, mighty, strong-charactered woman who's been fighting stage 4 breast cancer this year. All I know is that she wasn't responding well this morning and her son took her to the hospital while my brother tried to find accommodations for their younger son, Nadya's nephew and adopted son, Ilya. Ilya lost his mother (Nadya's only sister and sibling) and father in a car accident not quite four years ago and has been living with Dave and Nadya and Vasya for the last three years now, I think it's been. 

Finally this evening we got to talk to Maddie on the phone. She thinks she may have gotten on the competition team. We'll hear tomorrow. 

And that's life; highs, lows, in-betweens. Things pull me up and down, tug at my mind and heart, sadden me, madden me, gladden me. In all of it, I've had one constant, and that is my God; His steadfastness, His trustworthiness, His mercy, His grace, His favor, His comfort. I rely on Him and His goodness to carry me over and through all of life's challenges. It's because of Him that I lay my head down every night and sleep the sleep of the peaceful. It's because of Him that I know that the things that concern me have an answer, whether I know it yet or not, I know it'll be revealed. 

So, tonight I close out my day with a statement of my belief because it's what is me. My belief in the Almighty God is what settles me, brings absolute peace to my life in the middle of any trial and storm. I'm not apologetic about my belief in God, His son Jesus, the Christ and the Holy Spirit who lives in me, guides me, teaches me and comforts me, and un-jumbles my jumbles.