So my sisters and I were talking the other day and they said "You don't have a mean bone in your body". I started to snort with laughter, until I realized they were serious. On my second thought, I wanted to believe it myself and not dispel their thoughts about me. I got pretty convicted about it, so I said to myself that I would tell them later and then since I didn't really move fast enough, God helped me out..
We had been to a family funeral. So extremely sad and it was a military funeral of a very young, but talented recruit. I flew home to be able to be with my family. It was the saddest thing. Also during that same week, I found out that while I was away, the Hondurans had their elections. The Hondurans always have a lively election, just like the United States. I have yet to pick who was going to win correctly in either country. However, after I left, there was a hesitation in the results of the vote, which spawned a huge problem there in the country. Today, Honduras is under marshal law and have closed the airports for right now until everything gets calmer. I have my Honduran children there. I love the country, my kids, my staff, the interns and the Honduran people. I was reading scripture today in Psalms 46. God reassuring me that He is our refuge and strength and a very present help in time of need. I contacted interns families, and went to our family gathering at the funeral home to encourage the family that our lovely nephew left waiting on the other side of the glass.
So we ate a huge Southern Style lunch at a church, who graciously made lunch for our family and the fellow recruits from the Army, who came down to help with the military funeral. Afterward we went to my oldest daughter's house and visited with my kids and grand kids for a bit before they had to go to work or go home. I just wanted to do something normal and so we decided because of the stressed filled day, we would order pizza and watch a movie at the house. So we called the pizza place and asked if they take credit cards. "Yes," was the resounding answer. We continued with our wonderful plan. "Do you have a white spinach pizza? " Again "Yes", it is called the Mondo Cheesey". "Okay" we said, "that is what we want". They said, "But it is going to cost you more". "Okay," we said a little more reluctantly. WE were on a roll, but we had to go pick it up.
We arrived and they said "Your pizza is ready". I gave them my credit card. "Oh", they said, "We don't take that credit card, do you have another card?" I told them I that I did, but I thought they said they took credit cards. "Who said that?" I thought to myself, "Someone here must have", but I didn't say anything as I reached in my wallet for my debit card. While they were running my card, they told me to look at the pizza to make sure that they had my order correct. I first I thought that I didn't need to look, because we had been so specific, but they insisted. So I looked at the pizza. No spinach. I asked about why there wasn't any spinach. They said, "That would be the Napolitano and you order the Mondo cheesy." We countered with, " But we were told the Mondo Cheesy came with spinach". "Who said that"? Again, I thought, "Hmmmm, ", but I didn't say anything. I was irritated, and as she gave me a receipt, she said said all perky and peppy, "Hey, here is your receipt," and on the back is a survey for you to tell us how we are doing. She continued "If you fill it out you can get a cup of our cheesy whiz sauce, the next time you come back to get your Napolitano". She finished her speech with a big smile. I couldn't look at my daughter and she couldn't look at me, lest we burst out laughing. I got in the car, ticked off about our order. (Remember we had already had an unusally big meal that afternoon) I thought, "because my order was mishandled, I should have asked for my cup of cheesy whiz, and they should have given us breadsticks to go with it". I continued with my dissertation, "That the next time we will write down who it is that we talk too, and when they ask, "Who said that?" I will say, "It was you!" As I slung my hand into the air for dramatic effect, I saw that I had my jewelry on my indignant arm and fingers. The girl that waited on us clearly was struggling with life. I had a hard week, and she has had a hard life. I was laughing at situation to relieve stress, but I thought about if I had of acted on what I was thinking and saying at hardship of someone else, then that is mean.
I know there is a lot of stress out there during the holidays. There are a lot of things that are really not that important, that seem to be important. These events are even more concentrated during the holidays. WE need not to be looking so much about how we can be blessed or served, but about how to bless and serve others even in small ways. Being kind and looking for ways to be kind to others is scriptural. Even when we are having a bad days, we can be loving, we can be kind and we can be Christmas-like. Have a Merry Christmas r
