Wheeeeeeee!

I started my day out by falling down our basement stairs at 9:00 in the morning.

Praise the Lord; it could have been much worse. I was only five or six steps from the bottom when my flip flops lost their grip on the wooden stairs and came out from under me. I've lived in this house all my life, and in the thousands of trips I've made on those stairs, there have been many times when I tripped or missed a step. ...But I've never fallen. Always wondered what it would feel like.

Now I know. The moment I felt my feet slipping I tried to catch my footing, like I've done dozens of times but, though my feet hit against the edge of the step, they kept slipping off and in another instance I realized I could not stop myself from falling.

I half-fell, half-slid down the steps - trying to stop the whole way. It was strange, because my feet and lower back were hitting the steps, and my hand gripped the railing, but everything slid anyway. I couldn't grip my hand strongly enough, and my feet kept slipping out from under me.

I think I scared Mom a little, because she was in the kitchen above me and heard me fall, then groan at the bottom on the cement floor, and for a minute I couldn't answer when she called "what was that?!" Thankfully, I'm safe and sound - just very sore. :):)

In retrospect, I can't help thinking that those moments were a lot like my week. All week long I've been feeling like a runner on a treadmill that won't shut off - I've been constantly on the go. And I've felt like I was slipping - losing control of my happiness and contentment.

Some people thrive on a hectic lifestyle.

I don't.

I don't mind being busy, but this type of busy is terrible to me. I'm out of the house 3-4 hours a day, and when I'm here I'm trying to catch up on cleaning, writing, reading, and sewing...with little time left for other things. Besides farm sitting, I also have a major cleaning project going on in my sewing area, sewing to do, and I have to pack and get ready for our trip to the convention, plus the garden needs some work. I'm staying up late and trying to get up early - usually failing, and cutting into the time I usually use for my Bible reading.

Gasp! Dare I share such things on the world wide web? I guess I dare. I'm not happy with things being this way for so long, but you know what? God uses even circumstances I'm not happy with to teach me...so in a way, I am happy. I've learned many lessons this week...and felt many more. I'm glad I've gone through this week. There have been nuggets of pleasure dropped all along my path (there the resemblance to falling down the stairs doesn't hold true). I've had moments of sweet fellowship with friends and family. I've met new people. I've felt a closeness with my Saviour. I've got an almost-clean sewing area!

But there have been bumps too, and now that I'm almost at the end I'm starting to feel sore. And I think I may have worried my family a little, with my groaning. ;)

The week isn't over yet - and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week are equally busy. In fact, all of June is pretty packed. But I think I'm getting my second wind.

Forgive me for rattling on. My life can't sound very exciting or applicable when you aren't living it yourself. If you get nothing else out of this post, get this; when you are going through life at a pace that displeases you, and feeling like you're swimming with your wrists tied....go ahead and let go of fighting. It's too stressful. Cast yourself upon the Raft of Jesus Christ, and let Him give you the grace to keep going - and not only keep going, but to keep going with joy and peace and pleasure. Laugh a lot. Pray even more. And remember nothing lasts forever.

What a life this is.