December 8 – “Commander Mode”

Chris is in full on commander mode.  The street market is tomorrow and she has not yet done everything she wants to do ahead of time.  That means today will probably be a long one.  As if yesterday wasn’t.

And what made it so long?  Chris started out with her weekly home group level deep clean of the house.  There are other levels of clean both above and below home group level, but suffice it to say, she makes sure the house looks nice on Thursdays.  When I wasn’t vacuuming (Hey, that’s the one part of cleaning that I don’t mind doing.  It’s also the part that the neck doc says is not good for what ails me.  Oh, well), I had a little time to work on my Dad gifts.  They are taking more effort than usual this year.  Crafty, crafty, crafty. 

Then we had to go to Sam’s for supplies for the Market.  That means a run into Texas, a fairly quick spin around Sam’s avoiding the “free gift” sections where we could have won a free knife or a bottle of miracle cleanser.  From there we hurried back to the Island so we could stop at WalMart and pick up some more icicle lights for the church.  That’s on the agenda for today, by the way … finish hanging lights.  Finally, we drove out to the church to drop everything off.  I think Chris really wanted to stay and at least get those lights hung, but it was getting close to time when people start coming over for group, so she tore herself away. 

Once back at the house the phone calls and texts began.  Several people let us know they would not be here.  Lauren was helping cook the brisket for the Market.  Sam wasn’t feeling too well.  Mrs. Betty just didn’t want to get out in the cold and rain (and she didn’t need to).  Found out after that Cathy got tied up decorating a Christmas tree at church (Actually there was a bit more to her story involving a lost cell phone.  I don’t know why she didn’t just call us and ask us to call her phone.  Oh, wait.  That might require having her phone up front, wouldn’t it?).  Anyway, just Brian and Jennifer and Corey were here, so we adjusted our format and did some sharing and praying around the table. 

So now we face today.  Let me check my weather app.  It’s 36 degrees.  And it’s snowing.  Here we go …

Psalms 10:17-18 says, “You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.”

Father, keep folks safe who have to be on the roads in all this cold wet mess.  We’re just not used to it.  Amen.