Mid-week News - June 6, 2012

Dear Family of faith, Have you have "one of those days" lately? Yesterday afternoon I was looking for a place to get a screen repaired. I had the address on Commercial Way (Route 19), but nobody has numbers on their buildings so you're on your own to figure out where something is actually located. I stopped into Staples, looked at their address on a business card, and then asked, "Which way do the numbers run?" They weren't sure of it. Someone thought they knew where the place was I was searching for, so I set out, peering out the window while driving. I knew that I had gone too far and needed to turn around. As is common on these Florida roads, you have to make a U turn to get back to where you are going. (Of course, then you will have to make another U turn to get across the road since there are few access lanes to cross!) I decided to call on my cell phone and ask where the business was. I was happy to reach someone. She told me that I was just about to the place to turn in, so I did-- just as she told me that the business was closed for the day (this was 4 p.m.!) and that she was nowhere near the place since she answered the phone from her home. So once again, I had to make the circle of U turns to go back and forth. I felt like a race horse on an oval! So much for getting my screen repaired. I decided to stop into Lowe's and inquire about it. They don't do screen repairs there. I just decided to buy all the stuff I needed and do it myself! (Of course, I couldn't locate my screen tool at home so I had to invest in a new one of those as well!) On my way toward the hospital to visit I decided to stop into the library to get a book that I had heard about. As I pulled up, something seemed funny. There were very few cars there. The sign said I had arrived during library hours, but as I made my way to the door, I saw a big sign "Closed during repairs." The 'repairs' in question were a little roof work being done. "Florida!" I huffed as I returned to my car. That's just how it goes somedays, doesn't it? I wouldn't have wanted the Parish Nurses to have taken my blood pressure that day! Have you ever thought aloud, "Boy, I could do so much more in my life if I didn't have to put up with all these frustrations!" I guess it's at times like that that we need to remember that life is not a goal, but a journey. It's not about how much we accomplish in a day, but how we lived the hours we were given. More than that, it's not about checking off the items from our to-do list, but how people encountered us as we went about our business. Were we snippy and sarcastic, impatient and rude....or were we encouraging and understanding, patient and kind? Besides, most of our frustrations don't matter a whit in the end. Let's try to make "those days" a little easier-- on others and on ourselves. By the way, with a little help from Jill, I did fix my own screen. :-)