Tuesdays

Tuesdays used to be my favorite day. It's usually just a one job day & I use it to catch up. Go for a run, do some cleaning, blogging, hanging out with friends, maybe watch a movie & go to bed early. Today, not so much. First, one of my bosses is on vacation so one of the pharmacists from the Indy lab comes down to fill in from 8am - 3pm. That's fine; actually, I like it b/c I get to do a lot of extra little things that my boss normally does. It makes the day go a little faster & it makes me feel more needed :-) The chaos started after work. I had an appointment to meet a realtor to look at a condo. Before you think I'm loaded with cash, let me say that this condo is by no means new & the price is very right (about $42k). I had some reservations before I saw it b/c the price was so low. Truthfully, it's really not SO bad. It has a fabulous blue tile shower/tub with matching blue toilet & sink, new carpet, & lots of closet space. A couple of things that I didn't like were that you could confuse the kitchen with one of the closets b/c it was so very small & cramped, I cannot even describe how undesirable the view is from the living room windows, neither of the bedrooms nor the living room had overhead light fixtures, & there is no washer/dryer hookup. So, I had all this muddling around in my head & all that confusion always makes me ready for a run.
I headed out on my run & made a couple of discoveries. First of all, I always kind of thought that I needed some tunes with a little extra oomph to get me through my mileage. I had put my ipod on shuffle (like always) but when some sacred music or instrumental music came on I didn't fast forward right through them (like I usually do). I found out that running to Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance or the Pettit Team was quite enjoyable. I also noticed that the wind can make a tremendous effect on the amount of effort that goes into a run. When the wind blows against you it's very obvious; the wind makes me work much harder. Today as I was looping around town I wondered why I never seemed to feel the wind at my back pushing me along. That's when I realized that the wind at my back was a much more subtle presence, but it was there helping me out. It seems to me that trials in my life & the grace of God are a lot like that. The trials are obvious & painful. God's grace is just as real & just as powerful; I just have to take a moment to recognize that it is there helping me. Just a thought...
Ok, so I got done running, made myself presentable again, said hello to my parents, had a bite to eat, & headed to church to help with the visuals for VBS. I love going to these little art sessions! I can't teach or help during the school b/c of work obligations, but I always try to get in on the decoration creation. We make murals from the visuals in the VBS material by blowing them up with an overhead projector. First we trace them in pencil, then we outline them with Sharpies, paint them, & then redefine where needed w/ the magic Sharpies. I was the redefiner tonight. About 3 hours bending over a Sunday School table will make you ready for a massage, let me tell you! But it's worth it. I love VBS. This year it will be very different for my church b/c we no longer have a bus ministry. Please pray that kids will still find a way to get there!
Tomorrow is another 2 job day; I'm totally looking forward to our little mini vacation this weekend!