Kicking her high heels off and quickly throwing her sweater on the couch as she entered the door Marissa ran to the bathroom to relieve herself as she had been holding it for her forty-five minute commute home. "Why do I do this to myself?" she asked herself in relief. Just fifteen minutes to herself before the kids will be running through the door... clean out school bags... homework...reports of day... and her husband Bret will be walking in wondering what's for dinner... oh yes, dinner - she better get started.
The silence, the solitude, the quiet presence of only she and her God - those fifteen minutes of relaxation embraced her like a long lost friend. Just a five minute rest she thought to herself as she lay on the bed slowly working her way out of the skirt and spanx that managed to hold her together today. Why was she so exhausted? she wondered as it was only Tuesday and she had a relatively uneventful weekend. Although uneventful to her would be exhausting for others - to say the least. Two of her children had swim lessons, one had gymnastics, laundry, house work, homework, and she prepared a meal for an ill elderly couple after church on Sunday. Not to mention the fact that she and Bret were scheduled for a date night they had to cancel due to an unexpected meeting with the boss on Saturday. Ugh! Just five minutes... quiet... peacefulness... rest... she was sound asleep. Oh it was so good, a peaceful, sound sleep.. even if it was for only five minutes. Until...
"Mom, Jessy hit me!" the door slammed... "She hit me first!".. "Did not."... "Yes you did you liar!"... Startled by the slamming door Marissa jumped to her feet; Emily and Jessy were at it again she thought in frustration. "Stop!!!" she screamed. "Mommy, I got a '
Magnificent Memo' from my teacher today!" Ashley jolted in her room waving her florescent colored note. "Oh, that's wonderful Ash, let me see." Marissa glanced at the note with a smile giving Ashley a big hug. Tightening the string on her sweats and pulling her t-shirt down, slipping on her slippers as she headed to the kitchen she ran into Bret in the hallway. "I didn't smell the meatloaf when I came in; didn't you say that's what we are having for dinner?" The dagger ed look from Marissa told Bret not to go any further, he had already gone too far. He couldn't resist, 'well excuse me" he muttered in sarcasm as they passed each other in the hallway like flying arrows to an unknown target.
Marissa thrust at the buttons on the oven to preheat, she accidentally pressed the clock and alarm settings she had to take the time to reset them minute-by-minute. She opened the refrigerator to grab the meatloaf and knocked over the cup of juice that Bret told Ashley to put in there after breakfast. She reached for a paper towel only to find the cardboard tube awaiting refill. She grabbed the dish towel only to realize that Jessy used it to stop his bloody nose before he headed out to the school bus that morning and threw it on the counter. Ugh! Definitely one of those "Calgone take me away" days.
Do you ever have days like that? See Matthew 11:28-30.
