Be Careful What You Wish For

You'd THINK I'd have learned my lesson several years ago, when I prayed for PATIENCE. I met and married my husband. 'Nuf said.

THEN...in another momentary loss of sanity, when I was pregnant, I prayed for PASSIONATE CHILDREN. I didn't want children who just sat there...I wanted children who loved life, found excitement in the little things, appreciated nature. Loved BIG. Well, I got passionate, all right---passionate, HYPER-ACTIVE children. No, they never just SIT anywhere. The first one never slept for more than 20 minutes at a time, around the clock, for three whole years. The 2nd baby woke up every time the first one did (and they were in diapers together, so you get the picture..) The third one came much later, slept great, but sports an EXTREMELY dramatic personality. (And yes, they do love big...and do everything else big, too: Big accidents, big messes, big arguments...)

Last Friday, after a more chaotic than normal morning, I jokingly prayed (and publicly on Facebook, mind you) "Dear Lord, Please don't let me do anything irrational today, like pack my bag and move to Barbados."

Dumb. Dumb dumb DUMB. I never even got CLOSE to Barbados. In fact, I never even got close to packing a bag.

Actually, by noon, I was feeling more in control of my day---I had recovered from the morning and forgotten all about Barbados. I had managed to get all the food and gifts and treats to the appropriate kids/classes/school buildings for their Christmas parties. I had decided to soak up the last few hours of 'kids still in school, mom can finish Christmas shopping' time before they were off for two weeks. I had JUST started filling a cart in a store when my phone rang, it was Jillian's teacher.

Oh no.

Jillian was complaining of a stomachache, and even though the teacher had tried to hold her off, thinking it would pass, by now Jillian was near tears. I raced through the checkout and back to the school where I found Jillian sitting with secretary. Miss Glenda told me quietly that Jillian told her she had hurt her knee in gym class and that's why she had a belly ache. "Here we go again," I thought to myself. It really surprised me that Jillian would voluntarily miss her Christmas party, though (with the three packs of expensive cupcakes I'd purchased because the school only allows packaged treats, nothing homemade.) I loaded her up in the car and headed home. As much as I assumed she was making this up, she truly didn't look real well.

We arrived home and she went straight to the couch. I was hoping she'd nap and feel better. Before I even could warm up my coffee, she was barfing. And barfing. And barfing. Every 20 minutes, all day long.

Oh sweet Barbados. What was I thinking!!?? I should have prayed for world peace. Cure for Cancer. A more peaceful afternoon than the morning had been. But no. I prayed about the good Lord stopping me from flying away. And here I found myself, cleaning up bowls of barf. Who ever said the Lord doesn't answer prayer?? Tell them to phone me.

And so, the shopping never got finished, I missed a Christmas party, and I have no idea how on earth I will have everything done in time for the holiday. The good news is, Jillian recovered, everyone in the house is healthy, we DID make it to the annual Santa Train at Husband's work....And, I managed to ALMOST finish shopping yesterday.

I will spend my prayer time this week thanking God for the good stuff. Lesson learned.