Free to Laugh at Myself

I was chatting with my best friend Samara quite a bit this week. It was her birthday, so that gave me lots of excuses to call. Plus, the PCA church plant that they participate in has been prayerfully looking for a location to host them and I wanted to know an update on how things are progressing and how we can continue to pray.

Plus, of course, I just LOVE to chat with Samara at any time about any thing because she is such an interesting and fun friend.

In our call today she totally had me roaring with laughter at myself as she asked how I was feeling about my workshops and plenary next week in Chattanooga and I replied with my standard response of: “I’m not where I wanted to be in my prep; I sure don’t feel ready; I’m trying hard! But I still have a long way to go.”

Even before the words were out of my mouth, I started to laugh as I asked her if I had EVER said ANYTHING different about any speaking event, Christian mediation case, conflicted church intervention … any anything that I was trying to prepare for.

Have I ever even ONCE said something like, “Well. Yup. I think I’m ready. I’ve got everything I need good to go. My packing is done. My handouts are copied and packaged up. Speaker notes are filed and tabbed and I’m 100% ready and I feel really very good about it all.”

Samara just laughed and laughed and laughed as she replied, “Uh. No. I can’t say that I’ve ever heard you say anything even remotely CLOSE to that.”

So then it hit me that MAYBE I just need to LAUGH at myself and GIVE MYSELF A BREAK.

Work, pray, be diligent? ABSOLUTELY!
Seek counsel, seek help to improve, seek oversight? YES!
Listen, change things, listen more, change even more? You bet!
But then? LET IT GO.

Do your best, beg for God’s help and mercy, and let it go.

That’s where I’m at tonight. And I am hopeful that I might even get to sleep! Oh, oh, oh glorious sleep! What a gift that would be.

Soph was such a trooper getting her FOUR vaccination shots for being such a big girl 5 year old. What a gift of God’s grace that we can access those vaccines and hopefully protect her from such AWFUL diseases.

Holding her on my lap as she said, “Persevere! Persevere! Persevere!” quietly under her breath when she started to get scared right before the shots were administered, I was overwhelmed with praying for the millions of mothers who would give ANYTHING to be able to protect their beloved children from these devastating diseases. Oh oh oh! How blessed we are–even down at our little “free clinic” (where shots are only $12/ea, thank God!).

Now she’s free until her teen years–except for flu shots. We are BIG flu shot proponents around here. I hope we never miss ’em. They have saved us from a LOT of sickness and a LOT of misery.

Mmmmm … I’m really rambling now. Must be my very tired brain.

I’ll close by wishing my best friend and beloved sister, Kali, and HER FRED a happy, happy, BLESSED Wedding Anniversary today! I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend celebrating together!!

Oh, and I’ll also close by telling you that Lilikoi ATE soph’s vaccination RECORD when it was folded and resting IN MY PURSE in the car. I had run in to get soph from a playdate and then we were going to head to the clinic … but suddenly I had NO RECORD!!! Thankfully, I called and they said that they could easily print me out another one (hooray!) but can you believe that puppy? She’s a paper eater!! (Even around FOOD ITEMS that I would’ve thought would’ve been much tastier. Nope! She left THEM and ATE my immunization record.) Too funny. You just gotta laugh.

Hope your Friday was a blessed one!

Big day tomorrow–much to do. I pray that you enjoy a lovely weekend!

Yours,
Tara B.