I attended a life changing seminar several years ago and during this seminar our group received a name. This name was to describe our "personality" as a group. We were the "Nothings". Not a very pleasant name. My best friend got so mad I thought she was going to go after one of the directors. I didn't get it at the time, but I look back and see it did fit me at the time. However, I think I deserved a different name. I can really relate to the Hermit Crabs....dragging my baggage around with me me, hiding in my shell protecting the soft insides of me from being hurt, being unsociable, snapping when people or things get to close to me. Yep, I'm a hermit crab!
The blessing in this life is that God puts people in your path that force you to be more than you want to be. Luckily I am blessed with a social husband and several social friends. There are days Mike is a different kind of crab, but still he is more sociable than me. Tonight was one of those nights. I just came home worn out from work. Work has been stressful and I really wanted to do nothing but nap. It was raining and though I knew we had outdoor plans for the night, I secretly smiled at the possibility of a cancellation. YES....I was going to get to rest! Soccer practice was cancelled and I just knew our cookout would be postponed. NOT! The rain went away and the plans went forward.....there went my nap.
Mike left early and left Chels with strict instructions to make sure I was up by 6 and getting ready to meet them in town. I grumbled at him as he left and grunted that I would be there. I truly hoped I would fall asleep and Chels would get busy watching tv and we would accidentally miss the night's events. No such luck. Phone call after phone call, kept me awake. It just seemed that everything was working against my nap and night in my shell.
Out the door and off to the cookout. Not really excited, but I knew my presence was expected and that I would feel better once I got there. It was really wonderful. Many many people, smiling and chatting, eating and serving. I saw many friends old and new. It was really encouraging to my soul. I hugged necks, shook hands, laughed and even was prompted to write....thanks Kerrie! One hundred and twenty hamburgers and 80 hotdogs later, plus countless snowcones, the night was coming to an end. An ice fight and giggling men and children filled the air as I pulled out of the drive to head home. No, I didn't get my nap and yes, I am still very tired, but I wouldn't have missed the night.
One of these days I am going to shed this desire to crawl in my shell and curl up. I don't know when it will be, but thankfully God has put those people in my life that know that my pinchers are more for show than anything else and they drag my soft body, and spirit, out of my shell and in to life. It has not been the easiest thing for me, being exposed and not hiding, but I am learning daily to be brave.
The blessing in this life is that God puts people in your path that force you to be more than you want to be. Luckily I am blessed with a social husband and several social friends. There are days Mike is a different kind of crab, but still he is more sociable than me. Tonight was one of those nights. I just came home worn out from work. Work has been stressful and I really wanted to do nothing but nap. It was raining and though I knew we had outdoor plans for the night, I secretly smiled at the possibility of a cancellation. YES....I was going to get to rest! Soccer practice was cancelled and I just knew our cookout would be postponed. NOT! The rain went away and the plans went forward.....there went my nap.
Mike left early and left Chels with strict instructions to make sure I was up by 6 and getting ready to meet them in town. I grumbled at him as he left and grunted that I would be there. I truly hoped I would fall asleep and Chels would get busy watching tv and we would accidentally miss the night's events. No such luck. Phone call after phone call, kept me awake. It just seemed that everything was working against my nap and night in my shell.
Out the door and off to the cookout. Not really excited, but I knew my presence was expected and that I would feel better once I got there. It was really wonderful. Many many people, smiling and chatting, eating and serving. I saw many friends old and new. It was really encouraging to my soul. I hugged necks, shook hands, laughed and even was prompted to write....thanks Kerrie! One hundred and twenty hamburgers and 80 hotdogs later, plus countless snowcones, the night was coming to an end. An ice fight and giggling men and children filled the air as I pulled out of the drive to head home. No, I didn't get my nap and yes, I am still very tired, but I wouldn't have missed the night.
One of these days I am going to shed this desire to crawl in my shell and curl up. I don't know when it will be, but thankfully God has put those people in my life that know that my pinchers are more for show than anything else and they drag my soft body, and spirit, out of my shell and in to life. It has not been the easiest thing for me, being exposed and not hiding, but I am learning daily to be brave.
No comments:
Post a Comment