Day 055: Mind the Gap
Today is Monday, June 5th. You may notice the last time I wrote was June 1st. That was Thursday. When I began writing to discover what it means to Live Mot Ordinary, I said I would write every day to get my thoughts down and be held accountable, and for 51 days I kept to that.
Unfortunately, last Friday, June 2nd, I was unable to complete the task. Truthfully, I’d been finalizing and publishing most of my posts in the days leading up to June 2nd the day after they were due. Much of the post was composed in my head and the daily gratitude was generally done on the intended day, but I was not able to finalize the writing. This made me fall farther and farther behind. I scrambled and stayed up late and stressed. What’s more, I wasn’t always thrilled with how my words sounded as they stumbled out onto the page.
In this, month, where so many Americans celebrate the deadly sin of pride, eating the humble pie of failure was something I had not expected.It was also not something I wanted. I’d at least hoped to make it to 60 days, but no!
I could make excuses like, “It just wasn’t meant to be,” or, “It is what it is,” but shirking responsibility is not one of my skills – thank you Jesus!
The truth is, I needed a few days off, and I’m glad I took the time. I slept eight hours Friday ti Saturday. I cannot remember the last time I did that. It must have been over 14 years ago at least. I woke up and spent a wonderfully fun day with my youngest son. I made up my mind to enjoy his games and driving him to his activities and so on and we had a fantastic day! We needed that!
What I learned from my days “off” is that days off are needed. Sometimes what you get done when you’re well rested and happy is worth far more than the push and banging your head against a brick wall. It better than juggling too many balls and not knowing which to let drop and riding on a merry-go-round that never stops!
Tonight, I’m writing this in bed as I reflect on the day. I’m doing a small, semi-Examination of Conscience and thinking of all the many Blessings I’ve had today, the many missed opportunities I’ve had to pass on those Blessings, and how grateful I can be for all of it. I think of how I wish I’d been able to push through and write all 365 days this year, but I also know now the Blessing of knowing you’ve tried your best and can humbly set all the stuff of this world in to walk.
Challenges prepare you for greater challenges and my stopping writing for these three days is no exception. The new challenge will be to be sure I don’t make my intentional a sense into an excuse! Today I am grateful for the chance to do just that!
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of rest, both the rest in our bed that we close our day with and in the rest that comes from a few days off. Lord give us the Grace to step humbly away and the self discipline and courage to step in again asap! Amen.
God Bless…
Gratitude Journal – June 5th, 2023
Thank You Lord for…
- Time “off”
- Z coming home for breakfast
- Getting my run in
- Getting my strength and stretch in! Feeling like I can do this!
- C for saving me a seat to the meeting
- Dinner out with Meema and the boys and A.
- BBQ dinner with the boys!!z
- The boys and Meema coming here for dinner.
- The Stef Glass program and the women in the group willing to help.
- Plenty of food for dinner.
- A semi-early (11:04) bedtime.