Labor Day

As we tried to talk with the children about the meaning of Labor Day, one of my kids suggested that today be Mom's Day, since I'm the only one in the house that really knows what labor is! More on that later.

It was a Labor Day like none other for much of the Gulf Coast. Prayers were going up through the day, for those fleeing from Gustav, and even more so, those who dared to tough it out. If it was me, I'd be first in line to get out of town.

Yes, I'm chicken. And I'll continue to be chicken. I plan my chicken-ness. Don't you?

We were also watchful to see if it was turning any toward Houston. I guess I could have made it to Cleveland on my 1/4 of a tank, only to find that they were fresh out of gas. Oh, the gas gauge is broken on Barry's van. Remind me of that if we ever have to sit in traffic for long!

I'm so thankful that Gustav didn't gain strength as it approached the coast. Praying the Lord would have mercy, I shouldn't have been surprised that it calmed a bit. I don't understand natural disasters. And I don't like them. I guess that's one reason I'm chicken. Bawk bawk.

When I think of labor, I think of hard work. Almost unbearable work. Seems like the hardest work I do these days is to train myself to not worry. The projected path of the storm for Tues is right thru Liz & Ruth's college town, and then on to visit Moma and family there. There's a reason the psalmist says "WHEN I am afraid, I will trust in You" instead of "IF I am afraid..." I'm trusting Him to keep them all safe, as always.

But I look at a storm as a picture of the things that we face that are more real than wind and rain. Our lives are flooded with decisions each day, to choose right instead of wrong. To run or to bear the pain. To care or not care. To love or not to love. The waves of darkness can be overwhelming. That's WHEN I am afraid...that's WHEN I will trust in You, Lord. Spiritual storms. No warning for those...no tracking. Or is there?

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I managed to celebrate "my" day by slipping away from the house for about an hour. Alone. Several friends have told me about external hard drives, saying I need to back up all my info on my laptop. It's the only place I have all my songs (plus the brilliant lyric ideas that I haven't done anything with YET). So I ventured out to Best Buy, along with half of Houston. It was so busy. I was sure they would be sold out of the one I wanted (on sale). But there was one left. Oh, yes!

Then I went next door, to Office Maxx, to get some Kraft paper, to cover my high schoolers' books. Last year's fine for a damaged book is all it took for me to want to cover them myself! Somebody's gotta be the mama, right? Honey, I reinforce them babies. With duct tape. Every fold, every corner. Duct tape here. Duct tape there. I don't take a chance. And BOYS are soooo rough on their books!

But my true agenda for "my" outing was to buy tape. Lots of tape. And caulk. For Barry. He was painting our bathroom, and was running out of masking tape. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I didn't like the color! He wanted to say "but YOU picked it!!!" I could tell he was struggling for the right words. He looked around the room. And then looked again. Poor guy. Even after 23 yrs of marriage, he doesn't know what to say. Then he saw the stupid grin on my face, and he knew I loved it afterall.

I then returned to my 17 loads of laundry. Ha. But just when I thought I was tired of washing and folding, I came across a stray. All it took was a navy blue onesie to remind me that it's worth it all. And that was a reminder to pray for my peeps as I do their laundry...it turns my heart toward God, and toward them, as well. I used to pray for my hubby and kids as I ironed their clothes, but I no longer buy clothes that need ironed (or get ironed?!?!).

Yes, I'm loving my life ~ and the fruit of my labor ~ love!

Whoa. I just read this. It was random rambling. I don't dare go back and edit.