Miscellany

WARNING:  this is a long one...

This past Monday I was on voice rest & really should have been on voice rest Tuesday & yesterday too.  I'm supposed to sing a solo on Sunday for Father's Day and don't think that's going to happen.  I thought I would write a little story to read instead, maybe I'll try it out here first.

I'm not sick, it's just these allergies.  Every spring I experience a little bit of seasonal asthma and some sinus issues but I don't always lose my voice because of it.  Other than not being able to talk and feeling like someone's sitting on my chest from time to time, I really feel great.

So, I was glad to be able to go to Stoney Creek yesterday with Mario.  I'm tired of my body being this size - I'm the biggest I've ever been - and tired of being lethargic.  So I committed to doing something every day that's active, whether it's a little bit or a lot.  Yesterday it was a lot.  We rode our bikes for 15 minutes or so in one direction at the park.  As we were riding I was thinking "this is great.  We're going so fast!"  Normally when I'm in an out of control situation like that, I'm terrified that something is going to happen to cause me great bodily harm.  Probably a result of being hit by a car when I was 15.  But this time, I thought of all the things that might happen as my bike picked up speed and instead of braking, I decided I didn't care.  "This is really cool!"  And then I remembered that I'd be having to go back up that hill on the way back to the truck.  Mind you, this is a gradual hill, not a steep one.  Yet we are both so incredibly out of shape, it might as well have been Mount Everest.

Thankfully that was about the same time that I looked back at Mario & he said, "let's turn around".  So, we turned around and began the uphill climb.  I'm not usually very competitive but because I've been so hard on myself lately about my body, I determined I wasn't going to walk my bike up but I was going to show myself & Mario how amazing I am by riding all the way.  Hahahaha, yeah.

I got nearly all the way up but my leg muscles were practically audibly screaming at me.  "Oh gosh, fine", I told my legs and got off the bike.  Stretching as I waited until Mario rounded the curve in the path below me, I struggled with being embarrassed that I'd ridden so little and was already so out of breath and sore.  Then I decided that I was wasting too much energy on those thoughts and began walking upward. 

When I arrived at the top of the hill, I waited a bit but got a little concerned that I'd left Mario behind and because I know he's out of shape too, I decided to circle back around and ride back up the tiny remainder of the hill closer to him.  And I did it!  After we arrived back at our truck, I stretched and drank some water.  It was so peaceful at the park and I told Mario, "let's make that hill our challenge.  We'll come back to the same spot until we can both ride back up that hill without trouble."  He agreed and I'm so proud of our new beginning.

As we drove out of the park, I saw a young woman -  probably early twenties - pushing a jogging stroller.  Yes, she could have been a nanny & not just a young mother but I turned to my sweet husband and said, "I'm glad I'm going to law school because I'd really like to have a baby and this will distract me from us not having one".  He responded, "we'll have a baby, honey.  I know we will."  He's been so strong about his belief.  He received an encouraging promise from the Lord through a preacher about 2 years ago.  That was "Jacob's promise is for you too".  A few weeks ago, I was ready to throw in the towel.  I was frustrated and didn't even know what "Jacob's promise" was.  So, we looked it up in Genesis chapter 25.  And I told Mario, "well, this one is all you babe.  I need you to lead me on this because I didn't get to hear the word myself and because I wasn't there, I'm going to trust God's Word through you on this."  And I have been working on that faith.  I don't want to be in emotional distress about it but we have been "not preventing" pregnancy for the past 5 years.  I have been blessed in that I'm not a crying heap every month when I discover once again that I'm not pregnant.  I've been able to truly celebrate with every one of my friends as they've been able to make that precious announcement.

I was talking to one of my friends at church who, by the way, has 6 children.  I am close to most of her kids and love them very dearly.  I told her that "I wish I had someone nearby to talk to about this".  Honestly, it's kind of funny because every time I find someone who is experiencing the same thing Mario & I commit to pray for them.  And I promise, out of probably 10 couples the past 2 or 3 years all but two have become pregnant and had children.  That's AWESOME!!!  How cool is that?  Now, it's our turn.  I pray. 

Well, enough is enough.  I'll have to turn the creative juices on to prepare some sort of "special" for Father's Day at church.  Have a blessed day!