It is Sunday. I got up early to pick out the music I would play for church. I usually try to do this towards the middle of the week. Lately though, the beginning, middle and end of the week all run together. So, at 7am I was sitting at my keyboard rubbing the sleep from my eyes, trying to decide what I could play today. I hate it when playing the piano feels like a job.
While I was struggling with my piano music, Rex came dragging in. He had just gotten off a night shift and looked exhausted. We exchanged hellos and went over how both our nights had been. I could hear Kayelynn calling from her bed, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" I sighed. I had hoped she'd sleep longer.
I fed the kids and got Rex off to bed. I got the kids dressed and still had ample time to get myself ready. Trey and Kayelynn sense when I am running ahead of schedule. They take that opportunity to start aggravating each other. Every 5 minutes I broke up a screaming match and reminded them that Daddy was trying to sleep.
After preventing Kayelynn from feeding the turtle a whole bottle of food, getting Trey out (literally "out") of the kitchen cabinet, and then chasing Kayelynn through the house to retrieve a tube of lipstick, I returned to the bathroom to try for the fifteenth time to put my make up on. Kayelynn hung off my leg crying "bips, bips". (This means she wants lipstick on her lips)
I looked at my reflection and sighed. "Sunday....day of rest. That's a joke." I thought. I tried to shrug off my negative attitude.
Several struggles, fights, and hair pullings later, I had all of us in the car ready to head to church. We headed off on our two mile trek to church. I always make it a point to drive the gravel roads to our church. The kids and I both enjoy our leisurely Sunday morning drives.
This morning Trey announces: "It is a beautiful day!" I glanced at him and had to smile at his exuberance. This is the attitude I need, I thought. It is a beautiful day, such a beautiful day its like a gift. I felt my negative attitude start to dissolve. I didn't know that there were more gifts in store for me.
A woman at church had brought with her a box of jewelry. She was offering pieces to all the ladies in the congregation. She explained to me after the service that she had acquired the jewelry at an auction but then hadn't worn it much. I looked at what she offered and felt blessed. I found a gold necklace that caught my eye. The necklace was plain, a gold rope chain. But it something that I needed. Just that morning while getting ready, I had wished for a necklace just like the one I now held in my hand. I looked at the woman and thanked her. She gave me a smile that said "think nothing of it". It was a gift. A gift of kindness that again helped me find happiness in the simple things.
For the rest of the day, my eyes were opened to the simple joys of my life: the sounds of my children playing together while I cleaned out our old farrowing house, an unexpected hug from Trey, Kayelynn holding still long enough for me to braid a flower into her hair, a stolen moment alone with my husband. All are gifts to me.
I am most thankful for the act of kindness from that friend at church. Without that act of kindness, I might have missed all the other gifts waiting on me today. I put that necklace on before I ever left the church. Each time I felt it or saw it around my neck I was reminded of how a simple gift can change a person's whole outlook on life.
~thanks beverly~
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