Lessons and More Lessons

My friend Conniedee and I are headed to the Appalachian Trail in West Virginia next week. I had planned to continue training with my loaded backpack, but instead, I am nursing a hurt lower back with pain in my right hip and knee.  I tried out a new massage therapist and he was wonderful. I felt great when I left his table, and was rejoicing with the thought that I could get back at my training. I also had a chiropractic adjustment and I felt like I was really back to my good ‘ole self.  I came home and did some tooling around on my computer.  Then I stood up.

It was as though I never had any treatments. Pain and more pain.

Now, I am usually pretty good about asking Papa what the lesson is, but this time, I was just kind of stubborn about it. Maybe I could walk through the pain?

I went on a normal walk in my neighborhood and could not wait to get back home. Did some stretches, some time on the inversion table, and felt good enough to do some cleaning.

I haven’t really cleaned the upstairs since the last time we had company at Christmas time. It also wasn’t a great cleaning because I had a broken arm at the time.  Needless to say, some cleaning was definitely warranted.

Jon has a service dog. He is a sweet boy, but he is a black lab and it is shedding season. All of my white woodwork and carpeting are covered in a never-ending sheen of black fur. I was trying to clean the woodwork on the stairway, and it seemed all I was doing was smearing black hairs over the white trim.  That is when it hit me. All of my plans, are really just futile.

I have to reckon with the truth that the cleaning is just not going to get done the way I want it to. Between the back and hip pain, and the constant flurry of doggie fur swirling everywhere around me, it is an impossible goal at the moment.

Now I am taking stock. How important is it to clean? Well, since I am the only one who does clean, and I don’t do it often, I would say pretty important. Okay, then what will happen if it doesn’t get clean enough to meet my standards? Ummmm…. I will be embarrassed when my friend comes next week?  And how good of a friend is she? Does she really care if every dog hair is removed? Nope! 

So, who is this for?  Me, and only me (remember, my husband Jon is blind and can’t see it anyway).

This is me, letting go. Ahhhhhh!

Thank you, Papa for helping me to stay in Your presence. There is nowhere I else I want to be. I’m sure you don’t mind a few stray dog hairs.