School, Safety, Friends, and Frustrating People

Thursday was our big school auction. It was my first time to be front and center as the PTO treasurer and I'm thankful it went smoothly.  I'm thankful it was successful, but mostly I'm thankful for my mom who came down (with a hand-tied throw for a donation) and worked the check out table with me.  It's the only reason I wasn't drowning by the end of the evening.

We went camping on Friday night and I'm always thankful when we're with the a large group of young boys (aka the cub scouts) when we all come back with all eyes, fingers, toes, teeth, organs, etc, in the same place they were when we left.

I'm thankful on Saturday that we had to pack up camping early to be back for the OKC Memorial 5k the next morning.   It meant that when the huge storm hit that night, we were safe in our house and not in nature.

For Sunday I'm thankful for our small group.  We've been meeting together for a while now but Sunday night was a step up to the plate moment.  My MIL ended up going to the hospital (all ended up okay- and for that I'm thankful too) and we were suppose to be hosting the study that night.  When the group showed up, they prayed for us and for my MIL, one couple offered to watch the boys so I could go to the hospital with LK and then they washed dishes that were in my sink.  The group in that moment was Christ with skin on.

And today- it's one of those days when I'm trying to be thankful for the difficult.  I'm trying to be thankful for my neighbor.  Not for the one who brought me peonies this weekend that have my kitchen smelling lovely every time I walk in.  Not for the one who bakes us organic Christmas cookies each year.  Not for the one who comes over and talks travel and kids and life.  And not for the one who feeds my dog treats and for whom I care a great deal.  I'm talking about being thankful for that neighbor.  For the one who makes me want to put my house on the market so I don't have to live by her anymore.  For the one who wants to talk to me about everyone else.  For the one whom I've made mad and now wants to talk about me to everyone else.  For the one who has me missing our wonderful neighbors at the old house.  I'm trying to be thankful for her.  To be thankful that in her words that she is telling to others, I have the chance to self-reflect and see if there is a seed of truth.  And I'm thankful that this morning God really opened my eyes to show me her life.  Moved here from a place she loves because of her husband's work- a place very different from her home.  Hates the schools and is now trying to homeschool a child she has admittedly said she has very little control over.  Hates the city and misses where she was.  Can't move from her home because it's provided by her husband's job, etc, etc, etc.  Today I'm thankful that God showed me that what she says and does on the outside is likely a reflection of the lack of control she feels on the inside.  And let's face- I'm not always the easiest person to live with when I feel like everyone else has control but me. 

Lord, help me to remember that glimpse into her life when I am faced with difficult encounters.  Help me, even when I don't know how (or when I don't want to), to be an instrument of your peace while not simultaneously rolling over to play dead.  Help me know that balance.