A Love Pat...

"Be kind, for everyone you know is facing a great battle."

~ Philo of Alexandria

Venti please.

Make it a java chip.

With extra whipped cream.

An extra 1,000 calories? Whatever.

'Cause it's been THAT kind of week.

And it's only Tuesday.

My thoughts are so jumbled tonight. Locked up. Trapped.

As I try to dig and sort through them, my mind is going in a million different directions.

All of the interesting things I had to share are quite simply... gone with the wind.

Maybe it's exhaustion spilling over from yesterday.

Or since last week for that matter.

Really all month is more accurate.

Ok all year.

Oh who am I kidding, more like the last 5 years.

Yesterday it was really starting to peak.

That feeling that you are just spinning your wheels.

You know...."that feeling."

The feeling that with every step forward, you take two steps back.

Like you are never going tackle the pile. Never get on top of it.

Just stay buried...perpetually...forever.

For every corner of the house you clean

the children are making new messes behind you.

For every item you cross off "the list'

three more are right there to replace it.

That moment you were trying to savor,

explodes right in your face. In a millisecond. 

But then something happened.

My sister called.

The chaos in the background was eminent.

Siblings arguing.

One tearing up the other's homework.

A request denied. A tantrum building. A reprimand delivered.

And then it came. Like a gentle breeze on a scorching day.

In a soft tone, and with sincerity in her voice,

she said, "You're doing a good job. I'm proud of you."

My friend Diane would have smiled and called that

 "a love pat from the Lord."

And it truly was. 

I could feel my inner man exhale.

In the simplicity of that moment, came reassurance.

Maybe I'm not completely dropping the ball.

Maybe accomplishing what was necessary for the day was propitious. 

Maybe this was a perfect teachable fragment in time.

A tangible reminder.

The world is upside down. Encourage one another.

Fires are burning. Storms are raging. Political and social unrest is rampant.

Encourage one another.

Sweet Bellas, never underestimate the power of an encouraging word.

It can breathe life into a weary soul.

Wipe the sweat from a brow.

Deliver fresh air amidst a suffocating moment.

Bring hope when it's needed most.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11