I have a lot going on right now. Sorry for the non-posting in a while. Yesterday we started our VBS. This is going to be the most exhausting week of my life. Basically I’m working from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm every night. Then we have a prospective new pastor coming in for the weekend so I have a ton of meetings and “fellowships” to attend. He will be with us for the AM service this Sunday so the music has to be great and the choir and praise team have to be on their A-game. So yes, I’m tired.

As a note, this is not going to be a funny post – leave now if that’s what you’re here for.

All this “stuff” made me start thinking about things. Well, the “stuff” in addition to a little incident on Saturday evening. I was on my way to take my piano to our choir room. It has been in our garage for some time and it SHOULD NOT have been in there. It’s a very nice piano. It’s electric. I really hated to take it away, but it needs to be inside and I have NO ROOM for it. Besides, I really want a Yamaha upright. That won’t happen anytime soon, but whatever.
Anyway, as I was driving to the church, I saw a big SUV fly by the stop sign of my road. Granted it’s a HWY, but I still thought they were going fast. There was this cute little black puppy playing near the road and I immediately panicked because I knew the pup was going to get hit. Well, he did. Right in front of my face. The SUV nailed him and it threw him over to the shoulder where he was laying on his back. I knew he was dead, just knew it. As I slowly pulled up next to him, he wasn’t moving and then I heard a little, half breath, “woof.” I ALMOST DIED. The SUV slowed down and then just went on their way. I stayed with the puppy hoping his owners would see him, which they did. He was really scared – to the point of trying to bite. I had to explain to the owner that I was not the hitter. I don’t know if he believed it or not, but I wasn’t. They took him back to their house and I went on my way. I know in this instance it may seem like I have more compassion for animals than I do people and I think in some cases I do. When I saw this little puppy in the road I literally was bawling my eyes out and I really don’t ever cry. I called Sarah and just started crying. I’m sure she was very confused.

Here’s the thing…..are you so consumed with yourself that you can’t stop for the puppy you just RAN THE CRAP OVER? Why are we like that? I hope I’m not. I’ve been really trying to challenge myself not to complain recently. We complain about so much, yet really have nothing to complain about. We gripe because it’s so hot, then we walk into our completely air conditioned homes. We complain about the local restaurants, but for some families, eating out isn’t even an option. We/I complain about our lawns and how they’re not perfect and yet there are children in orphanages all over the world who don’t know what it’s like to play outside. We have everything we could possibly want, but still complain because we don’t have it all.

I don’t want to be like that. I hope I’m not like that. Then, in the middle of Cry Fest 2009, I automatically start thinking about babies and cry more. For example, I think about Celie. She is so dependent on us as parents. I think about what if we weren’t good parents to her? What if she didn’t know the love and comfort she gets from us? What if she was abused or mistreated? Then I start to think about orphanages again and continue to cry. Those kids just long for love and support and care and they don’t get it or have it. Then I go back to Celie and think about if she was in an orphanage.

Do you see what I mean?

It’s a vicious circle.

I am so thankful for what I have. For our jobs, our health, our families, everything. I just want people to stop being so self-centered for just five minutes and try, just try, to reach out and help someone else.

I know this post isn’t cohesive. It doesn’t even make descent sense.

But neither do I half the time.