Saturday Morning

This Saturday I participated in two of the most cut throat suburban activities in Northwest Harris County...I attended our church's mega garage sale and a YMCA t-ball game.

PART ONE...The Garage Sale. I do not "garage sale" frequently (around here you can use the term garage sale as a verb). I lack a certain aggressiveness necessary to really nab super great deals. Also, my friend and I walked in with no sort of shopping bags and we had Starbucks coffee with us. It's really hard to get into bargain hunting when you're down to only one hand. Still, I learned a few things. 1-If you ignore everyone around you and only focus on the stuff in front of you, you have better luck. This takes some practice, but fortunately a solid year of ignoring Lego arguments and poop jokes has helped. 2-Don't stop and chat with people. This only gives the people you are supposed to be ignoring the chance to swoop in and snag a deal right out from underneath you. 3-If you must pay attention to someone else let it only be because you are quietly stalking them to see if they will walk away from a certain item so you can swoop in and take it. I did this. I might have looked a little creepy doing it, but at least my creepy booty was sitting in a steal of a deal rocking recliner when all was said and done. So hah! I barely arrived home in time to head out for the second adventure of the day, a t-ball game at the YMCA.

PART TWO...The YMCA. It was Happy Healthy Kids day or something like that at the Y. There was a bounce house, a fun run, snacks, etc. If your local Y is hosting a Happy Healthy Kids day it also pretty much means it is going to be hosting Cranky Irate Parents day. The extra programs mean more visitors so parking is a nightmare. On top of that it was also picture day for all of the sport teams. But since the Y was so crowded you had to go down the street for that. Put that on top of the parking issue and all the games were running late. Can you imagine?! A 4/5 year old t-ball game that started five minutes late?! Will little Johnny get enough chances to run the wrong way around the bases each time he's at bat while the opposing teammates dog pile for the ball every inning if we run five minutes behind? You might guess that the same strategy proven so effective at garage sales also works for YMCA t-ball games....ignore all the people around you. Except for the kids, of course. They are precious! And precisely the point of being there at all, which we so quickly forget amid the parking and team picture woes.

Yes, like garage sales and T-ball, so many things are put before us by the Lord full of wonderful and divine purpose and we, with best intentions, totally misunderstand. The only way to beat it is to stay close to God, my friends. If you're ignoring everyone else around you let it be because your eyes are focused so wholly on Him!! In our house this week we are learning the verse, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". I often think of this verse in terms of overcoming an obstacle, accomplishing some great goal. Sometimes that is as simple as getting through your Saturday morning with a healthy perspective still in tact. To be strong in Christ is to be strong in His direction, in tune with His purpose. It's to see things as the gifts that they are instead of the distractions we let them become. Saturday morning was well on its way to crazy, but Lord when I look at you I see instead a fun outing with a friend and a chance to see my kids stretch their legs and enjoy the fellowship of others. Thank you that you have good things in mind for me, Lord, and help strengthen me to see them that way, too.  AMEN!  XOXO...Kelly