reality check.

Last Saturday was an ordinary Saturday morning at Casa Cook.  I woke up first, as usual, beside my hunk of a husband.  The pup was stirring, and soon Mr. Cook was, too.  We whispered our 'good mornings' and cuddled through the day's agenda:  for Mr. Cook, an oil change, church basketball, home by lunch, for me, couponing, laundry, grading, puppy snuggles.  Mr. Cook got on the website for the car dealership and that's when he realized:  the oil change appt and basketball were at the same time.  I offered to take the truck- it's an oil change, how long could it take?  Mr. Cook started the truck and took the dog out while I quickly got ready.  He headed out to basketball, and shortly after, I headed out to the truck.  And this is when my selfish heart reared its ugly head (for the first of many times that morning).

I got to the truck, and the windshield was covered in thick frost.  Mr. Cook had started it, but it was not even close to being defrosted.  I sighed, but aside from being cold, this was no big deal.  I would scrape it off and go to the dealership.  Except I'm too short to scrape it.  I got pretty grumpy pretty fast with this realization.  So I sat there, growing more ill by the minute, waiting for the windshield to defrost enough for my short little arms to kinda knock off the frost.  I realized I was going to be late, and my frustration grew.  I so hate being late.

Finally, it was defrosted to the point that I could kinda knock off the frost.  I pulled into the dealership, not in a good mood but trying to put on a happy face.  I waited for a few minutes and told them who I was, that it was my husband's appointment and truck.  They searched the schedule.  They searched it again.  And the appointment wasn't there.  The folks at the dealership were very friendly, assured me it was a mistake, took the keys and told me they would work me in.  I said thank you, got my coupon binder and purse, and sat in the waiting area.  Sat, and stewed.  No laundry was getting done, my couponing was severely limited in the waiting area, my phone was going to die, how long was I going to be here...

In my grumbling, I was using my (dying) phone, and I stumbled upon mundane faithfulness.  It's the story of a sweet soul named Kara who has a precious family (her hubs and 4 super cute littles).  Kara also has terminal cancer.  She so bravely and elloquently shares her story on her blog, mundanefaithfulness.com (you should go there).  So I sat reading, and I literally felt my selfish heart melting.  As the enemy told me what a brat I was being, my Jesus was waiting with open arms, and He used this sweet soul, whom I've never met but know I love, to bring me back.  He's good at that.

He's good at bringing me back to reality.  He's good at using His people to love me, teach me, support me, give me grace, and, sometimes, bring me back to Earth while keeping eternity in mind.  He's good at finding me in the midst of the chaos in a middle school classroom- He finds me when I can't seem to find Him.  He is good.

It's my hope, my prayer, my goal to seek Him first.  Not when the laundry is done.  Not when the papers are graded.  Not when the lessons are planned.  First.  I've never really been a morning person, but this week, I'm making the effort to get up a little earlier, so I can have the peace and quiet to seek Him first.  The rest will be added, just like He said.

Seeking,
Kayla